Smash Mouth original lead singer Steve Harwell is in hospice care, band manager says

By Andy Rose and Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Steve Harwell, the 56-year-old former lead singer of the rock group Smash Mouth, is receiving hospice care at his home, the band’s manager said Sunday.

“Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time,” Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes said in a statement to CNN, noting Harwell’s fiancée is also by his side.

No further details on Harwell’s medical condition were provided. “We would hope that people would respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time,” Hayes said.

Harwell was a founding member and longtime lead singer of Smash Mouth, best known for its chart-topping singles “All Star” and “I’m a Believer.”

“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. Steve loved the fans and loved to perform,” Hayes said.

During Harwell’s career, the band was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for “All Star,” a song which later achieved cult status after its appearance on the sound track of the 2001 animated film “Shrek.”

Harwell himself went to great lengths to boost the band’s early fame – personally taking their “Astro Lounge” to radio stations across the country to get it played across the airwaves.

“We never do anything traditional,” Harwell said in 1999. “We never go through the front door. It’s always the back door, or an open window or something, to get our stuff played.”

Since Harwell left the band in 2021, the group has continued to perform with new lead vocalist Zach Goode.

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