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Steve Harwell

Steve Harwell
Harwell in 2013
Born
Steven Scott Harwell

(1967-01-09)January 9, 1967
Santa Clara, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 4, 2023(2023-09-04) (aged 56)
Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Resting placeLos Gatos Memorial Park
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
Years active1987–2021
Spouse
Michelle Laroque
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2019)​
Children1[a]
Musical career
OriginSan Jose, California, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keyboards
Formerly ofSmash Mouth

Steven Scott Harwell (January 9, 1967 – September 4, 2023) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist for the rock band Smash Mouth from their formation in 1994 until his retirement in 2021.[1][2][3]

Early life

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Harwell was born and raised in Santa Clara California and later moved to San Jose. From an early age Harwell became interested in music, when his father would play classics from Elvis Presley and David Lee Roth.[4] During his teens he formed his first band out of his parents garage.[5]

Career

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Harwell was initially a rapper in the group F.O.S.[6] (Freedom of Speech).[7] He abandoned the Public Enemy–influenced project upon hearing Dr. Dre's 1992 album The Chronic and realizing that the genre was changing.[8]

Greg Camp formed Smash Mouth in 1994 with Harwell, Kevin Coleman, and Paul De Lisle. They first achieved success with their 1997 song "Walkin' on the Sun".[9] The band's 1999 song "All Star" reached the top 10 in the United States, and it regained popularity after being featured in the 2001 film Shrek.[10] In total Harwell recorded 7 studio albums with the band and toured for decades.[11]

Harwell became a prominent figure in online meme culture due to the All Star Music video and its association to Shrek.[12] When being asked about the subject Harwell stated “People ask me all the time, they say, Steve, do you get sick of singing these songs and all that kind of stuff? And I'm like, no. We're proud to have these iconic songs that Greg has written and be able to perform them every night you know, so it feels good.”[13]

Harwell was a featured cast member in the sixth season of the VH1 reality show The Surreal Life in 2006.[14] He appeared on other television and radio shows[15] as well as making a cameo in the 2001 film Rat Race.[16] He performed two songs, "Beside Myself" and "Everything Just Crazy",[citation needed] for the 2013 South Korean–Chinese animated film Pororo, The Racing Adventure.[17] In 2018, he provided vocals for two songs in the We Bare Bears episode "Pizza Band".[18]

During a Smash Mouth concert in Urbana, Illinois, on August 27, 2016, Harwell collapsed on stage and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The band completed the show without him, De Lisle singing in his place.[19][20] In August 2020, the band headlined at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, with Harwell declaring "Now we're all here together tonight. And we're being human once again. Fuck that COVID shit"; the event was later classed as a superspreading event by the National Institutes of Health.[21]

Harwell’s final recording performance came in a collaboration with Timmy Trumpet on the song and music video Camelot in 2021.[22]

In October 2021, the band performed at a beer and wine festival at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York, where he appeared to be intoxicated, threatening audience members and performing what looked like a Nazi salute.[23][24] He then announced his retirement due to ongoing health issues,[25] and was replaced by Zach Goode.[26]

Personal life

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Harwell married Michelle Laroque in 2000; they divorced in 2019.[27] Together, they had a son named Presley,[28] who died aged six months in July 2001 from acute lymphocytic leukemia and inspired the name of his father's disease prevention fund, the Presley Scott Research Foundation for Leukemia.[29][30]

In 2019, his fiancée, Esther Campbell,[31] was issued a restraining order against Harwell.[32]

Harwell was a fan of the Bay Area sports teams.[33]

Illness and death

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Throughout most of his life, Harwell struggled with alcoholism, which was exacerbated by the death of his son. At times he performed while heavily intoxicated.[8] In 2013, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy, which can impair speech and memory. He was hospitalized in 2017 for cardiomyopathy, leading to the cancellation of a show.[34]

During an October 2021 show, Harwell said to one fan, "I'll fucking kill your whole family, I swear to God," slurring his words and swaying back and forth, at The Big Sip[35] beer and wine festival at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York and released as a TikTok video.[36] He retired after that event,[37] as these health problems hindered his ability to perform.[38]

Harwell died at his home in Boise, Idaho, on September 4, 2023,[39][40] one day after his manager, Robert Hayes, announced Harwell was in hospice for final-stage liver failure.[41][42][43]

Tribute

Following Harwell’s death, many members of the music community paid tribute to him, with bands such as Lamb of God, Third Eye Blind, and Wheatus honoring his memory.[44] Celebrity’s such as Carson Daly and Joey Fatone also put out their own tributes.[45] Chef Guy Fieri commented, “To my brutha Steve, RIP. Today is a sad day. I will miss my friend.”[46]

Harwell’s former band Smash Mouth also put out a statement following his death stating “Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom.”[47][48]

A public memorial in Harwell’s honor was held on October 7, 2023, in Los Gatos.[49]

Achievements

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In 2000 Harwell was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the song All Star.[50]

At the 2000 Kids' Choice Awards the group won the award for best band. That same year the band was nominated for Artist of the Year (Pop/Alternarive Radio) at the Radio Music Awards.

During his tenure with Smash Mouth, the band’s debut album Fush Yu Mang has been certified platinum twice and their sophomore album Astro Lounge has been certified platinum thrice.[51][52] The bands 2001 self titled album has since been certified gold.[53]

Filmography

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Film

Year Title Role Ref.
2001 Rat Race (film) Himself (Cameo) [54]

Television

Year Title Role Ref Notes
1999 Behind the Music Himself [55] 1 episode
2003 Kim Possible Himself (voice) [56] 1 episode
2005 What’s New Scooby Doo Himself (voice) [57] 1 episode
2006 The Surreal Life Himself [55] 9 episodes
2013 Big Morning Buzz Live Himself [55] 2 episodes
2017 @Midnight Guest appearance [55] 1 episode
2018 We Bare Bears Drum Bear (voice) [58] 1 episode

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Steve Harwell". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Steve Harwell". BBC. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Interview with Steve Harwell". Nyrock.com. November 1997. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014.
  4. ^ "Steve Harwell, 'All Star' singer for Smash Mouth, dies at 56". Los Angeles Times. September 4, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  5. ^ "Harmonizing Life: The Steve Harwell Story". Motivation. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Q&A: Steve Harwell On 20 Years Of Smash Mouth And Coming To Terms With All Those "All Star" Memes". Stereogum. July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  7. ^ Legaspi, Althea (September 4, 2023). "Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth Founding Singer, Dead at 56". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies at 56". BBC News. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  9. ^ Moses, Claire; Sisario, Ben (September 4, 2023). "Steve Harwell, Former Smash Mouth Lead Singer, Dies at 56". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Steve Harwell, founding member of Smash Mouth, dies aged 56". The Independent. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  11. ^ "Steve Harwell: The Smash Mouth frontman known for 'All Star' and 'Walkin' on the Sun'". The Independent. September 4, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  12. ^ "RIP Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smash Mouth and meme king extraordinaire - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  13. ^ Limbong, Andrew (September 4, 2023). "Former lead singer of the band Smash Mouth Steve Harwell dies at 56". NPR. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Wilkes, Neil (September 21, 2005). "New 'Surreal Life' cast named". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  15. ^ "Steve Harwell - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  16. ^ "Steve Harwell, former Smash Mouth lead singer, dead at 56". CBC News. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  17. ^ "Steve Harwell: The Smash Mouth frontman known for 'All Star' and 'Walkin' on the Sun'". The Independent. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Daniel Chong on X: "New WE BARE BEARS episode "PIZZA BAND" premieres today at 7pm @cartoonnetwork - Featuring @Steveharwell from @smashmouth! 🍕". Twitter. November 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Helman, Peter (August 28, 2016). "Smash Mouth Singer Leaves Stage In An Ambulance, Band Plays "All Star" Without Him". Stereogum. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  20. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (August 29, 2016). "Smash Mouth Frontman Steve Harwell Collapses During Concert". TheWrap. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Dave, Dhaval; McNichols, Drew; Sabia, Joseph J. (2021). "The contagion externality of a superspreading event: The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and COVID-19". Southern Economic Journal. 87 (3): 769–807. doi:10.1002/soej.12475. ISSN 0038-4038. PMC 7753804. PMID 33362303.
  22. ^ Timmy Trumpet Feat. Smash Mouth: Camelot (Animation, Music), May 28, 2021, retrieved August 25, 2025
  23. ^ Barton, Monika (October 12, 2021). "Smash Mouth singer accused of doing Nazi salute in shocking footage from 'chaotic' gig". Newshub. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021.
  24. ^ Brown, August (October 11, 2021). "Smash Mouth singer slurs words, curses fans at 'chaotic' live show". Los Angeles Times.
  25. ^ "Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell retires after disoriented New York concert". NBC News. October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Johnson, Josh (March 2, 2022). "Smash Mouth introduces new singer, Zach Goode; releases "Never Gonna Give You Up" cover". ABC Audio.
  27. ^ Yasmine Leung l (September 4, 2023). "Smash Mouth fights childhood leukemia". HITC. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  28. ^ "Smash Mouth Singer's Son Dies". Billboard.com. July 31, 2001. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  29. ^ Slaughter, Adele (July 22, 2002). "Smash Mouth fights childhood leukemia". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "THE PRESLEY SCOTT RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR LEUKEMIA". OpenCorporates. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  31. ^ "Steve Harwell, Former Lead Singer of Smash Mouth, Dead of Liver Failure at 56". People.com. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  32. ^ "Smash Mouth lead singer reportedly has 'days to live'". PerthNow. September 4, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  33. ^ Young, Dennis. "Late Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell was die-hard Bay Area sports fan". SFGATE. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  34. ^ Smash Mouth's Steve Harwell Rushed to Hospital, Band Cancels Concert KTVB
  35. ^ "The Big Sip 2022 : A Wine & Spirits Festival". The Eldred Preserve. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  36. ^ Donnellan, Sara (September 4, 2023). "Steve Harwell Through the Years: Smash Mouth, Health Issues and More". Us Weekly. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  37. ^ Kawas, Kel (October 12, 2021). "Smash Mouth Frontman Steve Harwell Retires After Disturbing Festival Appearance [Video]". Live For Live Music. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  38. ^ Kaufman, Gil (October 12, 2021). "Smash Mouth Singer Steve Harwell Retires, Citing Ongoing Health Issues". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  39. ^ Moniuszko, Sara (September 5, 2023). "What to know about acute liver failure, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth's cause of death". CBS News. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  40. ^ "Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth Founding Singer, Dead at 56". Rolling Stone. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  41. ^ Chasan, Aliza (September 3, 2023). "Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell in hospice care, representative says". CBS News. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  42. ^ Zhan, Jennifer (September 3, 2023). "Steve Harwell Is Reportedly in Hospice Care for Liver Failure". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  43. ^ "Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies at 56". BBC News. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  44. ^ "Rockers Pay Tribute to the Late Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth". Loudwire. September 5, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  45. ^ "Celebs Pay Tribute to Steve Harwell, Former Smash Mouth Lead Singer Dead at 56". Toofab. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  46. ^ "Twitter Guy Fieri comments on Harwell's death".
  47. ^ "Smash Mouth tribute to Harwell on twitter".
  48. ^ Newstead, Al (September 5, 2023). "The strange, dark story of Smash Mouth and 'All Star'". Double J. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  49. ^ Staff, T. M. Z. (October 2, 2023). "Smash Mouth Lead Singer Steve Harwell Cremated Ahead of Public Memorial". TMZ. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  50. ^ "Steve Harwell | Artist | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  51. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  52. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  53. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  54. ^ Zucker, Jerry (August 17, 2001), Rat Race (Action, Adventure, Comedy), Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Whoopi Goldberg, Paramount Pictures, Alphaville Films, Fireworks Pictures, retrieved August 25, 2025
  55. ^ a b c d "Steve Harwell | Actor, Composer, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  56. ^ Block, David (December 19, 2003), "Queen Bebe", Kim Possible, Christy Carlson Romano, Will Friedle, Nancy Cartwright, retrieved August 25, 2025
  57. ^ "What's New, Scooby-Doo?" Reef Grief! (TV Episode 2005) - Steve Harwell as Steve Harwell - IMDb. Retrieved August 25, 2025 – via m.imdb.com.
  58. ^ Hernandez, Manny (November 6, 2018), "Pizza Band", We Bare Bears, Eric Edelstein, Bobby Moynihan, Demetri Martin, retrieved August 25, 2025

Notes

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  1. ^ This child is deceased.
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