Steve Harwell, who sang lead for Smash Mouth until his retirement in 2021, has entered hospice care as he struggles with late-stage liver failure, his manager confirmed on Sunday night.
“Steve is resting at home being cared for by his fiancé and hospice care,” Robert Hayes told The Daily Beast in a statement. “My only additional comment is that we would hope that people would respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Hayes told Billboard that though “Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time.” An unnamed rep for the band estimated to Entertainment Weekly that the 56-year-old has “only a week or so to live.”
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Harwell’s declining health was first reported earlier on Sunday by TMZ, which attributed his liver failure to years of substance abuse.
The “All Star” singer has struggled with medical issues for years. In 2016, Harwell collapsed onstage mid-performance and was rushed away in an ambulance; a year later, he was hospitalized with breathing difficulties ahead of another concert, and the band was forced to postpone several shows.
More recently, in Oct. 2021, questions arose after Smash Mouth substituted an unidentified stand-in singer for Harwell at some concerts without explanation. On Oct. 5, Harwell said he was taking a brief break from performing, citing cardiomyopathy and heart failure, with which he was diagnosed back in 2015.
Days later, he was back onstage with his band—only to announce his retirement the next week, on the heels of a bizarre concert he gave in upstate New York in which he appeared to sway, slur his words, and forget the lyrics to his songs. At other points during the set, he was filmed dropping a beer can into the audience, making vague threats to members of the crowd, and apparently making a Nazi salute.
A source close to the matter told Entertainment Weekly at the time that Harwell had experienced “one of his episodes,” with little elaboration. They called the incident “unfortunate.” Insiders also told TMZ that, in addition to his other medical setbacks, Harwell was suffering from Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a neurological condition that impedes motor functions, including speech and memory.
In a statement to TMZ addressing his retirement, Harwell was upbeat, focusing on how far the band had come. “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream,” he said. “To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.”
He also thanked his fans, saying, “I’ve tried so hard to power through my physical and mental health issues, and to play in front of you one last time, but I just wasn’t able to. I cannot wait to see what Smash Mouth accomplishes next and am looking forward to counting myself as one of the band’s newest fans.”
The band has continued on since Harwell’s retirement with a new vocalist, Zach Goode.
