9/3/2023, 7:07:09 PM · by Extremely Extreme Extremist · 53 replies
METRO ^ | 02 SEPTEMBER 2023 | METRO
Posted on 09/04/2023 10:05:03 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The musician had been placed in hospice care in the days leading up to his death.
Former Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell has died, a representative for the band confirms to Billboard.
Harwell, who performed as lead vocalist for the California pop-rock act until announcing his retirement from the group in 2021, passed away Monday (Sept. 4) at his home in Boise, Idaho, after being in hospice care. He was 56.
“Steve Harwell passed away this morning September 4, 2023 at his home in Boise Idaho. He was surrounded by family and friends and passed peacefully and comfortably,” reads a statement provided by Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes.
“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,” the statement continues.
“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% full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out. Good night Heevo Veev. Rest in peace knowing you aimed for the stars, and magically hit your target.”
Leading up to his death, Harwell had been placed in resting at home and was being cared for by his fiancé and hospice care. TMZ first wrote of the musician’s current health status earlier on Sunday (Sept. 3), reporting that he’s reached the final stage of liver failure.
Harwell was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that can makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood to the body, several years ago. Following his initial diagnosis, he suffered from “nonstop serious medical setbacks including heart failure as well as acute Wernicke Encephalopathy,” a condition that greatly impacted his motor functions, including speech and impaired memory, a statement said in 2021.
Harwell shared the news that he was retiring from the “All Star” group due to his ongoing health issues in October 2021.
Harwell’s comment about retiring from Smash Mouth read: “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 formed in 1994 in San Jose, Calif., consisting of members Harwell, guitarist Greg Camp, bassist Paul De Lisle and drummer Kevin Coleman. The band’s first single was 1997’s “Walkin’ on the Sun,” and they landed a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the earworm “All Star,” which peaked at No. 4 on the chart in 1999. Astro Lounge, Smash Mouth’s sophomore album that 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, an award that ultimately went to Santana for “Maria Maria.” The song enjoyed new popularity after being featured in the Academy Award-winning animated film Shrek from 2001.
Elsewhere on the charts, Smash Mouth rang up five hits on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart, including three top 10s: its debut entry “Walkin’ on the Sun” (No. 2 peak, 1998), “All Star” (No. 1, for five weeks), 1999) and “Then the Morning Comes” (No. 8, 2000). The band also scored with “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” (No. 27, 1998) and its cover of The Monkees’ Neil Diamond-written classic “I’m a Believer” (No. 24, 2001), from Shrek. Plus, “Walkin’ on the Sun” topped the Adult Pop Airplay and Alternative Airplay charts and “All Star” ruled Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay.
On the Billboard 200, Smash Mouth has charted five albums. After its first entry, Fush Yu Mang, hit No. 19 in 1998, the group reached the top 10 with Astro Lounge. The band has sold 6.4 million albums in the U.S. to date, according to Luminate.
Smash Mouth’s most recent album is 2012’s Magic, though they released an acoustic version of debut set Fush Yu Mang in 2018, following the 20th anniversary of the original recording’s release.
Smash Mouth continues to tour with vocalist Zach Goode, who joined the band in 2022.
Too young...but excessive lifestyles tend to do that.
RIP Allstar...
I heard he had gone to hospice. I’m starting to realize it’s where they take people to make them comfortable while they die. It’s a tin line between how it actually works and assisted suicide. My mother and father both died in hospice in the last three years (both 90+). You’re basically waiting for them to die. My father only lasted a few days, but my mother lasted a few months. It felt kinda creepy in my mother’s case because nobody was doing anything to make her “better”. Rather, the goal was to just make her comfortable. But it was not really practical to make her “better”. She had do specific ailments. Her body was just done.
Before or after you know what? He was a heavy drinker with an extreme lifestyle BUT, the great equalizer probably had a hand in this untimely death.
Yes. In hospice your are required to not seek any treatment to survive. I’ve had some bad experiences.
I never heard anything about extreme lifestyles until he was sick.
Just be sure that anyone put into hospice, including yourself, should really be there.
You know what, from what I heard he was a big alcoholic, but that being said, I should know better and get more info before taking the press’ word for it.
It is assisted suicide for all intents and purposes.
One of my favorite memories with my kids was watching “Shrek” and singing along to “All Star” with them.
Yeah. Something similar happened to my grandmother, though it wasn’t hospice. She was in a nursing home after a pretty much debilitating stroke in her 50’s. She was there for about 20 years, constantly mentally deteriorating.
Then a funny thing happened...
She went to a different nursing home and they took her off almost all of her meds and suddenly we had her back, at least mentally. The doctor who was in charge of her medication in the first home lost his license to prescribe drugs. Coincidentally, he was also the doctor that delivered me in 1954.
RIP.
The patient aside, hospice is often a gut-wrenching experience for close family members. The doctor acknowledges that a course of treatment is available. It would prolong life for a few days or weeks. But such a treatment also would prolong the pain and suffering. What to do?
I was faced with such a decision regarding a family member who was in a coma. Fortunately, I had great support and advice from a pastor. I would hope others in similar situations would be so lucky.
Perhaps his six-year-old son dying of leukemia back in 2001 played a role in that.
Tragic, all around.
I heard about that, truly sad. I think he was six months old though.
Wow.
During a performance with Smash Mouth in Urbana, Illinois, on August 27, 2016, Harwell collapsed on stage and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The band completed the concert without him, with De Lisle taking over on vocals.[7]
In October 2021, the band performed at a beer and wine festival at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York, where Harwell appeared to be intoxicated, threatening audience members and performing what looked like a Nazi salute.[8][9] Following the performance, Harwell announced his retirement due to ongoing health issues.[10][11]
Harwell had struggled with alcoholism.[14] In 2013, Harwell was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy after years of alcoholism, which can affect motor functions such as speech and memory and cause heart failure. Harwell implied he retired because these problems hindered his ability to perform well.[15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harwell#Illness_and_death
Yes, you're right. That has to affect a man in ways I can't even imagine.
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