Steven Scott Harwell (January 9, 1967 â September 4, 2023) was an American musician and singer. He was the lead singer for the rock band Smash Mouth from their formation in 1994 until his retirement in October 2021.
Harwell was born and raised in Santa Clara, California and later moved to San Jose. From an early age, Harwell became interested in music when his father would play classics from Elvis Presley and David Lee Roth. During his teens, he formed his first band out of his parents' garage. Harwell was a graduate of Prospect High School In California.
Harwell was initially a rapper in the group F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech). He abandoned the Public EnemyâÂÂinfluenced project upon hearing Dr. Dre's 1992 album The Chronic and realizing that the genre was changing.
Greg Camp formed Smash Mouth in 1994 with Harwell, Kevin Coleman, and Paul De Lisle. They first achieved success with their 1997 song "Walkin' on the Sun". Harwell later reflected on his life during this point stating â Well, in âÂÂ97 when âÂÂWalkinâ on the Sunâ went to Number One, that was fucking big. I was 27 years old. IâÂÂd fucking never owned a new car, [and] I went and bought a BMW fucking two days after signing a record deal. And paid cash for it. I was living in an apartment with my drummer, eating Taco Bell, and running extension cords over the roof to steal power off my neighbourâÂÂs house because we couldnâÂÂt pay our fucking bills. Stealing marijuana plants to pay our bills and pay for studio time. IâÂÂd do whatever it took, and thatâÂÂs honestly how it happened.â Harwell and the band's success then skyrocketed with their 1999 album Astro Lounge which featured the single "All Star" that reached the top 10 in the United States, and it regained popularity after being featured in the 2001 film Shrek. Smash Mouth's popular cover of The Monkees' song IâÂÂm a Believer off their self titled Album also saw immense popularity. Harwell went on to record 4 more albums with the band; Get the Picture? (2003), The Gift of Rock (2005), Summer Girl (2006), and Magic in 2012, and toured for decades. Harwell was known for his distinctive singing voice and slightly coarse rhythmic delivery, which helped give Smash Mouth's songs their unique personality. He also worked on his own music as a side project.
Harwell became a prominent figure in online meme culture due to the All Star Music video and its association to Shrek. When being asked about the subject Harwell stated âÂÂPeople ask me all the time, they say, Steve, do you get sick of singing these songs and all that kind of stuff? And I'm like, no. We're proud to have these iconic songs that Greg has written and be able to perform them every night you know, so it feels good.âÂÂ
Harwell was a featured cast member in the sixth season of the VH1 reality show The Surreal Life in 2006. He appeared on other television and radio shows as well as making a cameo in the 2001 film Rat Race. He performed two songs, "Beside Myself" and "Everything Just Crazy", for the 2013 South KoreanâÂÂChinese animated film Pororo, The Racing Adventure. In 2018, he provided vocals for two songs in the We Bare Bears episode "Pizza Band".
On June 2011, a writer at Something Awful offered $20 if Harwell, would eat 24 eggs. Others on Twitter began offering additional sums, eventually targeted to various charities. In July 2011, Harwell accepted the challenge if fans could gather pledges of $10,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital. The fundraising goal was reached in less than a week. A self-styled "reality TV fan," Harwell requested that his friend celebrity chef Guy Fieri prepare the eggs. The event was held at Johnny Garlic's restaurant, in Dublin, California, on October 11, 2011. With about 150 people attending, Harwell was able to finish the eggs with the help of audience members as well as the San Jose Sharks mascot, Sharkie. $15,000 was raised for charity.
During a Smash Mouth concert in Urbana, Illinois, on August 27, 2016, Harwell collapsed on stage and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The band completed the show without him, De Lisle singing in his place. In August 2020, the band headlined at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, with Harwell declaring "Now we're all here together tonight. And we're being human once again. Fuck that COVID shit"; the event was later classed as a superspreading event by the National Institutes of Health.
HarwellâÂÂs final recording performance came in a collaboration with Timmy Trumpet on the song and music video Camelot in 2021.
In October 2021, the band performed at a beer and wine festival at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York, where he appeared to be intoxicated, threatening audience members and performing what looked like a Nazi salute. He then announced his retirement due to ongoing health issues, and was replaced by Zach Goode.
Harwell married Michelle Laroque in 2000; they divorced in 2019. Together, they had a son named Presley, who died aged six months in July 2001 from acute lymphocytic leukemia and inspired the name of his father's disease prevention fund, the Presley Scott Research Foundation for Leukemia.
In 2019, on behalf of his fiancée, Esther Campbell, a restraining order was issued against Harwell.
Harwell was a fan of the Bay Area sports teams. He was also a avid fan of racing/NASCAR and in 2003 he would help start a racing-themed clothing line called âÂÂTeam Nasty.âÂÂ
Throughout most of his life, Harwell struggled with alcoholism, which was exacerbated by the death of his son. At times, he performed while heavily intoxicated. In 2013, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy, which can impair speech and memory. He was hospitalized in 2017 for cardiomyopathy, leading to the cancellation of a show. During an October 2021 show, Harwell said to one fan, "I'll fucking kill your whole family, I swear to God" while slurring his words and swaying back and forth. His actions were recorded and posted as a TikTok video. Harwell retired after that concert, as his health problems hindered his ability to perform.
On September 3rd, 2023, HarwellâÂÂs manager Robert Hayes, stated that Harwell had entered hospice care due to finalâÂÂstage liver failure caused by years of alcoholism. The next day, on September 4th, 2023, Harwell died at his home in Boise, Idaho.
Following HarwellâÂÂs death, many members of the music community paid tribute to him, with bands such as Lamb of God, Third Eye Blind, and Wheatus honoring his memory. Celebrities such as Carson Daly and Joey Fatone also put out their own tributes. Chef Guy Fieri commented, âÂÂTo my brutha Steve, RIP. Today is a sad day. I will miss my friend.â HarwellâÂÂs former band Smash Mouth also put out a statement following his death stating âÂÂSteve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom.â A public memorial in HarwellâÂÂs honor was held on October 7, 2023, in Los Gatos.
HarwellâÂÂs stage energy could swing from playful to chaotic â which helped make Smash Mouth shows memorable. He often bantered with the audience, cracked jokes between songs, and encouraged fans to sing along. Rolling Stone described him as "a boisterous, crowd-working frontman whose delivery made radio staples like âÂÂAll Starâ feel even bigger live.â Variety added he âÂÂembraced the role of rock showmanâ and delivered performances that were âÂÂraucous, unpredictable, and fun-spirited.âÂÂ
In a 2014 interview Harwell stated âÂÂWeâÂÂre not the kind of band that just stands there and plays. I want people up, moving, singing, drinking â having a good time.âÂÂ
In 2000 Harwell was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the song "All Star".
In 1998 the bandâÂÂs song "Walkinâ on the Sun" won best single at the California Music Awards. Two years later in 2000 Harwell won the award for most outstanding male vocalist and the bands album Astro Lounge also won Outstanding Rock/Pop album. At the 2000 Kids' Choice Awards the group won the award for best band.
During his tenure with Smash Mouth, the bandâÂÂs debut album Fush Yu Mang has been certified platinum twice and their sophomore album Astro Lounge has been certified platinum thrice. The band's 2001 self titled album has since been certified gold.
Singles
Film
Television