Former frontman for the 90’s iconic band Smash Mouth, Steve Harwell, has died at age 56.
The band is known for their chart-topping hits, like “All-Star” from their 1997 album, Fush Yu Mang, and Walkin’ on the Sun from 1999’s Astro Lounge.
Certain movies featured Smashmouth’s music. The movie “Shrek” used “All-Star” and also had a cover of The Monkees’ classic hit song, “I’m a Believer.” The band’s last album, “Magic,” was released in 2012.
Steve’s Struggles with Substance Abuse
Steve has struggled with alcohol abuse for years, and the cause of death was liver failure.
He had been battling several health issues up until his time of death. In addition to liver failure, he had also been suffering from cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and Werinke’s encephalopathy.
Wernike’s encephalopathy affected his motor functions, including speech and memory. This illness impacted his ability to perform.
His substance abuse was also a contributing factor in his death. It just caught up to him, and he was very sick.
He had been in the hospital receiving treatment for his illness but was released to have in-home hospice care and be with his friends and family in Boise, Idaho.
The news was reported earlier this morning that Steve only had a week or so to live. However, his time was cut short by his illness, and it only took about 30 minutes from releasing that original statement for him to pass on.
In August 2016, Harwell collapsed onstage in during the course of a concert with Smash Mouth in Urbana, Illinois. Steve was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but the band still performed without him.
In October 2021, he was on stage at Bethel Woods Facility for the Arts in Bethel, New York. He was slurring his words and screaming at the audience. Shortly after this, he said he was retiring from the stage.
The band Smash Mouth consisted of guitarist Greg Camp, drummer Kevin Coleman, and bassist Paul de Lisle.
Steve sang for Smash Mouth for 27 years, from the time of the band’s incarnation in 1994 to his departure from the band in 2021.
Since Steve left the band, the band’s new singer is Zach Goode.
Steve Harwell Info
Steve was born in Santa Clara, California, on January 9, 1967. Details about his parentage and early life are not known.
Steve’s first brush with fame was with a rap group called Freedom of Speech (F.O.S.).
Steve kept most of his personal life private, but he was briefly married to Michelle Laroque in the early 2000s.
Steve suffered an unimaginable tragedy when he had a son born on January 6, 2001. His name was Presley Scott Harwell. Unfortunately, that baby did not survive. He died in July 2001 from acute lymphocytic leukemia at six months of age. It is an aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer.
As a result of this tragedy, Steve established a medical research fund in his son’s memory. The foundation was called Presley. The foundation promoted and advanced scientific research to study the type of cancer that took his son’s life. He procured $15,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Steve’s memory will live on through his music and his son’s legacy. He will be missed.
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