Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth RIP

[G650 14265]

Struggled mightily later in life with substance issues and mental health

 

 

[Rip76 4944]

Damn.

RIP

[Dbeasy 15072]

I saw him in Dallas. He could not sing. At all. But, rest in peace. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

If what I read can be trusted he lost a six month old to lukemia in 2001 and many think his alcholism/downward slide stemmed from that.  I can't judge.  Sad all around.  RIP.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by MC Fresh Breath

[Pato del Muerto 52529]

40 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

He could not sing. At all

Hey now.  Be nice. 

[Deej 76842]

Smashmouth...90's music that needs to be forgotten.

Rest in peace, though..

[TwiceHorn 31507]

Just as a matter of education, it appears that Steve Harwell was a hardcore alcoholic.  That means it was probably genetic as much as anything, and, while traumatic events like the loss of a child don't help matters any, they don't cause alcoholism.

While he ultimately died of liver failure, which can happen to any hard drinker, he had "wet brain" and some other things that indicate that alcohol didn't just contribute to his death, it was the proximate cause.

RIP.  That's a slow, horrible way to go.

ETA:  I don't just mean physically painful.  The guy was told that alcohol was killing him and causing him unnecessary pain.  I'm sure he tried to quit on multiple occasions and even felt the freedom of abstinence.  But he kept going back for reasons he probably couldn't explain even to himself.  That is a miserable existence.

Edited September 5, 2023 by TwiceHorn

[jimmyjazz 45986]

I'm not ashamed to admit I liked their two big hits.  They were a lot catchier than most of the shite on the radio at the time.

[G650 14265]

You should be

[animaltobacco11 107]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Just as a matter of education, it appears that Steve Harwell was a hardcore alcoholic.  That means it was probably genetic as much as anything, and, while traumatic events like the loss of a child don't help matters any, they don't cause alcoholism.

While he ultimately died of liver failure, which can happen to any hard drinker, he had "wet brain" and some other things that indicate that alcohol didn't just contribute to his death, it was the proximate cause.

RIP.  That's a slow, horrible way to go.

Where are you reading he had wet brain and even that he died of liver failure? Everything I've read has glossed over details. Can you link?

[Chad Fuck 17686]

5 minutes ago, animaltobacco11 said:

Where are you reading he had wet brain and even that he died of liver failure? Everything I've read has glossed over details. Can you link?

I'll bet if you search the music forum, you can find vids of him drunk or stoned out of his mind attempting to sing.  I know I've seen them here.  Maybe at tos, but I think they were recent enough.  

[animaltobacco11 107]

2 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

I'll bet if you search the music forum, you can find vids of him drunk or stoned out of his mind attempting to sing.  I know I've seen them here.  Maybe at tos, but I think they were recent enough.  

That's interesting, all the usual suspects covering this have been "diplomatic" about his cause of death, let's call it. e.g. AP, People, etc.

[jimmyjazz 45986]

Would there be any good reason to do otherwise?  I think "don't speak ill of the dead" is a reasonable editorial standard.  Not that it's always adhered to, but still . . .

[C-Man 27234]

3 hours ago, animaltobacco11 said:

Where are you reading he had wet brain and even that he died of liver failure? Everything I've read has glossed over details. Can you link?

 

3 hours ago, animaltobacco11 said:

That's interesting, all the usual suspects covering this have been "diplomatic" about his cause of death, let's call it. e.g. AP, People, etc.

it's not exactly hidden. Here's AP: https://apnews.com/article/smash-mouth-steve-harwell-obituary-868ae1aa513ce66dbf5ef0499c13261a

Quote

The band’s manager, Robert Hayes, said Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” Monday morning surrounded by family and friends at his home in Boise, Idaho. The cause of death was acute liver failure, Hayes said in a statement.

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Harwell retired from performing and left Smash Mouth in 2021. The band continued to tour with Zach Goode as the singer. Smash Mouth released a statement at the time saying Harwell had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy eight years earlier and had suffered “nonstop serious medical setbacks including heart failure as well as acute Wernicke Encephalopathy.”