Lead Singer of Smash Mouth, Steve Harwell, Dies at 56
BOISE, ID — Lead singer of the band Smash Mouth Steve Harwell, 56, died on Monday from reported liver failure.
Source: Bobby Bank / Getty
This comes just hours after the band’s manager, Robert Hayes, announced that the singer had entered hospice care. He was cared for by family and friends, including his fiancé.
Harwell was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy back in 2016. A disease that makes it more difficult for the heart to circulate blood throughout the body. He would be hospitalized with heart issues in 2017 and later develop acute Wernicke Encephalopathy, which impacts motor skills, speech, and memory.
The band’s manager also noted that Harwell struggled with alcoholism and had been hospitalized with liver problems before, though he did not mention when.
The frontman on Billboard #1 hits like “Walking on The Sun” and “All-Star” would retire from performing 2021 amid ongoing health issues and what was perceived as an onstage breakdown during a concert in upstate New York.
The band would post a tribute message to Hartwell on Twitter shortly after his passing.
