The Death Of Smash Mouth Singer Steve Harwell Sparked Heartbroken Reactions And Fond Remembrances Online

Smash Mouth co-founder and former singer Steve Harwell passed away on Monday morning, September 4, at 56 years old. The news was confirmed by various publications, such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and Variety, citing Robert Hayes, a representative for the band.

“Steve Harwell was a true American Original,” Hayes said in a statement. “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.”

Hayes continued, “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.”

The band, best known for their late-’90s staple “All Star,” posted the same sentiment to X (formerly known as Twitter), and several other tributes followed.

Eve 6 offered a heartfelt reaction, tweeting, “RIP Steve Harwell. You brought a lotta joy to a lotta people. You were so much more than a meme [broken heart emoji].”

Guy Fieri shared a photo of himself with Harwell and wrote, “To my brutha Steve RIP. Today is a sad day, I will miss my friend.”

ESPN’s Linda Cohn shared a memory of Harwell, writing, “I remember meeting Steve when he and the band visited ESPN at the height of their popularity. Was so nice. RIP Steve. You’re an AllStar forever.”

Others reminisced about some notable Harwell social media moments, like when he got into a spat with the Oakland A’s on X (then Twitter) and when he stood in opposition of DJ Khaled’s views on oral sex.

There had been several indications that Harwell was in poor health in recent years, including a troubling performance in 2021 that preceded his retirement from music.

TMZ reported at the time, “We’re told he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy eight years ago, which has led to other medical setbacks like heart failure and Wernicke’s encephalopathy … a condition that impacts his motor functions, including speech and memory. He’s also battled substance abuse over the years, which is further contributing to his health crisis.”