The manager of the band, Smash Mouth, sadly acknowledges that Steve Harwell’s presence among us will be brief, despite his current presence. A spokesperson for the band has informed Billboard that Steve Harwell, who served as the lead singer of Smash Mouth until his retirement announcement in 2021, is now under hospice care.
At the age of 56, Harwell is currently receiving care at home, where he is being looked after by his fiancée and a hospice team, as confirmed by Smash Mouth’s manager on Sunday, September 3rd. With heavy hearts, he stated, “Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time,” and added, “We would hope that people would respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
TMZ initially reported on Harwell’s deteriorating health earlier on that Sunday, revealing that he has entered the final stage of liver failure. Harwell had been battling cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease that impairs the heart’s ability to circulate blood to the body, for several years. Following this initial diagnosis, he faced a series of severe medical setbacks, including heart failure and acute Wernicke Encephalopathy, which significantly affected his motor skills, speech, and memory, as stated in a 2021 announcement.
In October 2021, Harwell publicly declared his retirement from Smash Mouth due to ongoing health issues. In a touching comment about his departure from the “All Star” group, he shared, “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a rock star performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years, and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.”
Smash Mouth made their mark with their 1997 single “Walkin’ on the Sun” and achieved a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the infectious “All Star,” reaching No. 4 on the chart in 1999. Their sophomore album, “Astro Lounge,” which included “All Star,” reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart that year. “All Star” was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the Grammy Awards in 2000, although the award ultimately went to Santana for “Maria Maria.”
While Smash Mouth’s most recent album is “Magic,” released in 2012, they did release an acoustic version of their debut album, “Fush Yu Mang,” in 2018, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the original recording’s release.