Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell has died aged 56

Smash Mouth vocalist Steve Harwell has died at the age of 56.

The singer was admitted to a hospice earlier this week to receive care in the final stages of liver failure.

Band manager Robert Hayes confirmed the news of Harwell’s death in a statement to Rolling Stone, saying that the singer died at his home in Boise, Idaho “surrounded by family and friends”.

Hayes added that the musician “passed peacefully and comfortably”. He didn’t clarify the cause of death to Rolling Stone, however Harwell had been in hospice care following medical complications.

“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognisable voices from his generation,” Hayes continued in his statement. “He loved the fans and loved to perform. Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle.

“Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. And the fact that he achieved this near-impossible goal with very limited musical experience makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable.

“His only tools were his irrepressible charm and charisma, his fearlessly reckless ambition, and his king-size cajones. Steve lived a 100 per cent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.”

As reported by TMZ yesterday (September 3), Hayes said that Harwell was expected to live for only “a week or so”.

The musician, as stated in that report, struggled with alcohol abuse throughout his life. His family and friends gathered to say their goodbyes to him in recent days.

Harwell was a founding member of the US rock band. Although he hadn’t been an official member of the 1994-formed band since 2021, he and bassist Paul Delisle were the only two original band members who’d remained consistent through the majority of the group’s run over the last three decades.

News of the former Smash Mouth singer’s declining health was revealed back in 2021 when it was announced that the frontman would be retiring due to health issues that he’d been battling for several years.

The news came after footage from a gig showed him slurring his words and making threatening comments toward the crowd.

Announcing his retirement in 2021, a representative for Smash Mouth told Los Angeles Times that Harwell had left the band to focus on what they described as “longstanding medical issues”.

Smash Mouth are perhaps best known for their 1999 hit ‘All Star’, which appeared in numerous film soundtracks including the first Shrek movie.

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