The news of Steve Harwell’s death this week at 56 came as a surprise to many fans. He passed away soon after he was reportedly given a short time to live and was put in hospice care. The Smash Mouth frontman had apparently been contending with liver failure for years, in addition to other health issues, including heart failure and alcoholism. Visits from loved ones were allegedly kept to family in the days prior to his passing and, with that, it's been claimed that Harwell's bandmates were unable to say goodbye.
In the aftermath of the singer's passing, his manager, Robert Hayes, spoke with TMZ and said that the only people who saw Steve Harwell before his death were close family members. That reportedly includes his fianceé and her family, while other goodbyes were apparently kept to phone call conversations. This has reportedly been attributed to the late performer's request that his final days be kept intimate, and he allegedly did not want a large group of people at his home in Boise, Idaho. With that, his bandmates seemingly honored this request, and it's reported that everyone was on good terms upon the entertainer's death.
At present, Smash Mouth seems to be continuing to tour with new singer Zach Goode. Steve Harwell hadn’t played with the band in a while, as he retired in 2021. No shows have currently been canceled. Though the band's work seemingly continues, Harwell will be greatly missed, and his impact and musicianship will be cemented within the group's discography forever. He was well loved, as evidenced by the many who've shared sweet stories about the “All Star” singer on social media. This includes comedian Bert Kreischer, who hilariously told a story about how he and Harwell once crashed a wedding together.
Fans have also been memorializing the musician by sharing and recreating the band's hit song, “All Star” which they’ve also done in general over the years. The song has caught on amongst young people, and has lived on since its 1999 release. “All Star" got a second life when it appeared on the Shrek soundtrack in 2001. Jimmy Fallon even did a bit with the Smash Mouth song a few years back. The cultural impact of the single was immense and will surely be a significant part of the late singer's legacy. The band also recorded the song, “I’m A Believer” for the DreamWorks animated film, which is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription.
According to this report, it seems like friends and family honored Steve Harwell’s wishes in his last moments by making privacy a priority. While his bandmates may not have seen their frontman in person, they still continue to play music as a unit and play songs he contributed to over the years. That in itself is a sweet way to honor a comrade.
We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our condolences to the family and love ones of Steve Harwell during this time.
