Musician Steve Harwell, one of the founding members of the American band Smash Mouth, died Monday at his home at the age of 56. the news was advanced by Rolling Stone magazinewhich quotes the group’s agent, Robert Hayes.
In a statement, Hayes reveals that the musician – who was not part of Smash Mouth since 2021 – died “surrounded by family and friends” and “calmly and comfortably” after liver failure. Harwell also suffered from Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a disease that affected his motor skills and memory, as well as cardiomyopathy diagnosed in 2013 and alcoholism.
It was in October 2021, after several years of fighting medical problems, that Steve Harwell left Smash Mouth for good after an incident with his fans during a concert at the Big Sip festival in New York.
Videos captured at that show showed Harwell slurring his words while threatening the public and making obscene gestures, behavior that was, at the time, justified by a representative with symptoms of Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a disease that the musician also suffered from and that affected his motor skills. . skills and memory.
“Steve will be retiring from Smash Mouth to focus on his physical and mental health,” the same representative announced at the time.
The band initially formed in 1994 and brought together, in addition to Steve Harwell, drummer Kevin Coleman, guitarist Greg Camp, and bassist Paul Delisle. In 1997 the first big hit “Walkin on the Sun” would arrive and, two years later, “All Star”, the band’s best-known song, catapulted to prominence by the first film in the animated saga “Shrek”.
Source: TSF
