Steve Harwell, the lead singer of Smash Mouth, has died in the United States

Steve Harwell, the soloist of the American group Smash Mouth, died at the age of 56. He died at his home in Idaho, surrounded by family and friends, the BBC reports.

The group was founded in 1994 by Stephen Harwell, Greg Camp and Paul De Lisle. The group often adopted a retro style as a basis, which spanned several decades of popularity. The album Astro Lounge, released in 1999, is considered the group’s most commercially successful album.

“Steve Harwell was a real, genuine American. An extraordinary person who took off like a firework. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering determination and passionate determination to reach the heights of pop fame,” – reported on the page of the group in the X network.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Smash Mouth had several hits, including All Star, Walkin’ on the Sun, and I’m a Believer.

Harwell left the group in 2021 due to deteriorating physical and mental health. In 2013, doctors discovered a heart defect in him. These ailments led to a neurological disease that affected his memory and speech.

Harwell was born in California in 1967 and began his musical career in the rap group FOS (Freedom of Speech). He formed Smash Mouth in 1994 with Greg Camp and Paul De Lille.

The group’s second album, Astro Lounge (1999), went triple platinum in the US. The All Star song was included in the soundtrack of the cartoon “Shrek” and the film “Mysterious People”. After the release of “Shrek”, All Star again became a hit.

In 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, he spoke to a large audience at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota.

Later, the National Institute of Health declared this concert “an event of increased spread of the virus.” The group later stated that it had received many threatening letters for this performance.

Announcing his retirement in 2021, Harwell said: “I tried so hard to overcome my physical and mental illnesses and play in front of you one last time, but I just couldn’t.”