Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies, aged 56
The singer was best known for hits including All Star, which appeared in Shrek.
Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of US band Smash Mouth, has died at the age of 56, his manager Robert Hayes has confirmed.
The musician died at his home in Boise, Idaho, “surrounded by family and friends”, Hayes confirmed in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognisable voices from his generation,” Hayes added. “He loved the fans and loved to perform … Steve lived a 100 per cent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.”
Hayes did not give a cause of death, but had earlier said Harwell was in the final stages of liver failure and was receiving end of life care at his home.
Harwell, who struggled with alcoholism, was diagnosed with the heart disease cardiomyopathy in 2013 and subsequently with a neurological disorder which affected his memory and speech.
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Harwell formed Smash Mouth in the early 1990s with friends Greg Camp, Kevin Coleman and Paul De Lisle.
The single Walkin’ on the Sun became their first major hit, topping the Billboard Modern Rock charts and reaching No 19 in the UK Official Singles Chart in 1997.
However, it was 1999’s All Star that really catapulted the band to fame.
The song was nominated for a Grammy and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, before later featuring in the 2001 hit movie Shrek.
All Star later found a second life when it was repurposed on the internet through parodies and memes.
In a 2014 interview with Noisey, the singer said that he would never get bored of playing the song.
“It feels like it came out yesterday,” he said. “It’s weird, people ask me, ‘Do you get bored of playing these songs?’ I’m like, ‘Why would I get bored of playing them? This is what puts bread and butter on my table.’”
Smash Mouth also covered The Monkees 1966 hit I’m a Believer for the family film, which starred the likes of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy.
