Smash Mouth‘s Steve Harwell has entered hospice care and reportedly has only days to live.
According to his manager, the musician has reached the final stages of liver failure and is expected to only have “a week or so”, as reported by TMZ today (September 3).
As per the publication’s report, the singer has struggled with alcohol abuse throughout his life, adding that his family and friends have gathered to say their goodbyes over the past three days.
News of the former Smash Mouth singer’s declining health was revealed back in 2021, when it was announced that the frontman would be retiring due to health issues that he had been battling for several years.
The news came after footage from a gig showed him slurring his words and making threatening comments toward the crowd.
Announcing his retirement in 2021, a representative for the band told Los Angeles Times that Harwell had left the band to focus on what they described as “longstanding medical issues”.
“Despite Steve’s best efforts to work through these ailments, he is heartbroken to share that it has become impossible for him to continue doing what he loves most, performing in front of the band’s millions of fans around the world,” they said.
TMZ had previously reported that the singer was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy eight years ago, which led to other medical issues like heart failure and Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which “has greatly impacted his motor functions including speech and impaired memory,” a spokesperson said.
“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,” Harwell said in a statement at the time. “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.”
Smash Mouth revealed their new singer Zach Goode last year via a Rick Astley cover.
Harwell co-founded Smash Mouth in 1994, who became best known for songs like ‘Walkin’ on the Sun’, ‘All Star’ and their cover of ‘I’m A Believer’ which featured in the Shrek movie.