Smash Mouth singer and Shrek star Steve Harwell dies aged 56
Steve Harwell, who was best known as the lead singer for American rock band Smash Mouth, has died aged 56.
The news was confirmed by his manager, Robert Hayes, who said the singer ‘passed peacefully and comfortably’ at home.
The American singer had recently been battling end-stage liver failure and had been receiving care in a hospice, with his family staying by his side.
Shortly before his death, Harwell’s representatives told Metro.co.uk that he had just ‘days to live’ and asked for his family’s privacy to be respected.
‘We hope that people respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time. Steve is resting at home and being cared for by his fiancée and hospice care.’
He is survived by his fiancée Traci Lynn Lindsay, who became Harwell’s carer during the final months of his life.
Harwell formed Smash Mouth in 1994 at the age of 27 with friends Greg Camp, Kevin Coleman, and Paul De Lisle, releasing their first album in 1997.
After moderate success in the mid-to-late 1990s, Smash Mouth hit the big time when All Star, the lead single from their second album, went triple Platinum.
The song was later chosen to appear on the soundtrack for the 2001 classic animated movie Shrek, starring Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy.
All Star became synonymous with the Dreamworks film, which grossed almost $500m at the box office ($850m in 2023, adjusted for inflation) and became a beloved family film in the 2000s.
The song later became famous on the internet for numerous remixes and parodies, contributing to Smash Mouth’s continued success in the early 2000s.
Harwell and the band also covered The Monkees 1966 hit I’m A Believer for the popular film, which also went Platinum after charting high in the United States.
According to his reps, Harwell began to ‘struggle with alcohol abuse’ more and more as time went on, receiving treatment for his condition in hospital.
In October 2021, video footage emerged of Harwell insulting audience members during a live performance, stepping down from Smash Mouth shortly afterwards.
It was explained that Harwell would be leaving the band to pursue treatment for his health issues, which were also exacerbated by a heart condition.
He issued a statement, saying: ‘Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream.’
‘To my bandmates, it’s been an honour performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.’
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