Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell

Steve Harwell, the founding singer for the early 2000's band Smash Mouth, passed away after entering hospice care for liver failure, his manager said.


Steve Harwell, the former lead vocalist of rock band Smash Mouth, died Monday at 56. Robert Hayes, a longtime manager of Harwell and the band, confirmed the singer’s death in a statement to USA TODAY.

"Steve Harwell passed away this morning Sept. 4, 2023 at his home in Boise, Idaho. He was surrounded by family and friends and passed peacefully and comfortably," Hayes said in a statement.

Former Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell, whose distinctive rasp can be heard on the ska/punk-pop classics “Walkin’ on the Sun,” “All Star,” “Then the Morning Comes,” and “I’m a Believer,” has died, following a long battle with various health issues that forced him to retire from music in 2021. He was 56 years old. On Sunday, it had been announced by Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes that Harwell had entered in hospice care for final-stage chronic liver failure, was being looked after by his fiancée, and that he had “only a week or so to live.”



Hayes said in a statement that Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” on Monday morning at his home in Boise, Idaho, “surrounded by family and friends,” adding: “Steve has been retired from Smash Mouth for two years now, and the band continues to tour with new vocalist Zach Goode. That said, Steve’s legacy will live on through the music. With Steve, Smash Mouth has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and topped the charts with two No. 1 hit singles, five top 40 singles, three Hot 100 singles, four Billboard 200 albums and a Grammy nomination not to mention the hundreds of film and television placements and of course those musical features in Shrek.

“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. He loved the fans and loved to perform,” Hayes continued. “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. His only tools were his irrepressible charm and charisma, his fearlessly reckless ambition, and his king-size cajones. Steve lived a 100 percent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.”