Former Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell is in hospice care after serious health complications, according to his manager.
The singer is reported to be in the final stage of liver failure after receiving treatment in the hospital. It is also confirmed by a representative from the band that he is back home with only one week or so to live, with his friends and loved ones gathering to see him for the past 3 days.
The representative added, “We hope that people respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Harwell was previously hospitalized in August of 2016 after his collapse in the middle of their concert in Urbana, Illinois. The band postponed several shows back in 2017 while the singer underwent treatment for heart issues.
Smash Mouth is best known for “Walkin’ on the Sun,” their cover of The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer” which was the theme in the movie “Shrek,” and their No. 1 , “All Star” from 1999, which has reached cult status in the pop culture and meme culture realms.
The band has sold more than 10 million albums.
Harwell declared his retirement back in 2021 citing health conditions. “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 won’t to be able to,” he announced at the time.
He also thanked his bandmates, saying, “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 on this wild journey with.”
After being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which impairs the heart to pump efficiently, the singer has suffered medical setbacks such as heart failure and acute Wenicke’s encephalopathy, which highly affects motor functions like speech and memory. He also previously struggled with alcohol abuse.
His retirement announcement was then followed with a concert in upstate New York that caused a scene, with videos circulating on the internet of the singer slurring his words and threatening audience members. A few days after the incident, Harwell officially announced that he was retiring.
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