Smash Mouth’s singer Steve Harwell announced his retirement from the group on Tuesday, October 12th.
The ‘All Star’ singer’s last performance on October 9th, which was shared on social media, showed Harwell slurring his words, making obscene gestures, and even threatening to kill someone in the audience’s whole family.
Reps for Smash Mouth claimed the incident was due to his struggle with cardiomyopathy spanning over the past eight years. They explained that Harwell has suffered from a number of health issues from heart failure to an acute condition that impacts his speech and impaired memory. Information regarding his diagnosis was released following an explosive and bizarre performance in New York over the weekend.
“Ever since I was a kid,” Harwell said in his statement, “I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream.” He also thanks his bandmates and fans for supporting Smash Mouth and contributing to their success over the years.
With Harwell exiting, Smash Mouth will search for a replacement and continue.