“Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star” vocalist announced his retirement in 2021

STEVE HARWELL, WHO cofounded the band Smash Mouth in 1994, has died at the age of 56, band manager Robert Hayes confirmed. The musician, best known for hits like “All Star” and “I’m a Believer,” died at his home in Boise, ID “surrounded by family and friends.”

Harwell had been in hospice care following medical complications. The cause of death was liver failure, Hayes told Rolling Stone.

Hayes said Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably.” In a statement to Rolling Stone, he offered a lengthy tribute to the artist, who was a staple of ’90s rock music and saw success with multiple albums and singles.

  • mysoulishome@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Did you watch the video or read the transcript? He’s telling people he’s going to kill then. More and more agitated, just flailing at anything. Flipping off the crowd. Completely out of his mind. Not saying doing a nazi salute is ok but this guy isn’t a nazi. It’s super sad. It sucks if that’s all he will be remembered for.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      He was drunk. And yet I’ve been pretty damn drunk and at no point did I ever give a Nazi salute.

        • Czarrie@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          I think there’s a gulf of difference between alcoholism that leads to end-stage liver failure and death and “I’ve been drunk before”. Considering he is dead in 2023, gonna say he was pretty pickled already in 2021, especially with whatever downtime the pandemic offered

          • root_beer@midwest.social
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            1 year ago

            Apparently he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and wet brain from the alcoholism ten years ago; “pickled already in 2021” sounds like an understatement

      • Puzzle_Sluts_4Ever@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I will say that a few times in my life I’ve been a bit tipsy, holding something in one hand, and raised my arm to get someone’s attention in a crowd and had that “oh shit, this could look really bad out of context” reaction halfway through.

        But yeah. That is not at all what happened. Just pointing out that you can pretty easily do an accidental heil.

    • Puzzle_Sluts_4Ever@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Got it. Never judge someone by their words and actions. Instead judge them for not making an ass of themselves at a meet and greet a few decades ago.

      • mysoulishome@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Alright, he’s a violent racist if that makes you happy. The internet is so in love with labeling someone all bad or all perfect…

        • Puzzle_Sluts_4Ever@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Dude, take a breath

          People are acknowledging his flaws and… they were pretty massive ones. You, for whatever reason, are talking about how “look, just because he was throwing up nazi salutes at an event associated with white supremacy doesn’t matter. he isn’t a nazi even though he is acting like one”

          Its not about “all bad” or “all perfect” to anyone except, apparently, you. It is about acknowledging reality and not glorifying shitheads. Like, to my knowledge, he never demonstrated violent tendencies so I would not call him “violent”.

          Like, it increasingly feels like people would throw a god damned temper tantrum if they ever listened to a performance of Hamlet.

          • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            He’s like my aunt. You can’t say a single word of criticism for anything around her, or she’ll attack you for not being positive.

            It’s very negative behavior, but she says the word positive a thousand times a day so she must be better than us!

        • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          If we’re not allowed to call people who go to rallies that white supremacists attend and throw up nazi signs, when are we allowed to call someone racist. FFS I’m tired of this “stop calling people racist” bullshit. Stop acting racist and people won’t call them racist.

            • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              It was the yearly bike rally in Sturgis. It’s not entirely a white supremacist rally but it’s quite easy to find them there as they typically have flags and tattoos that help you spot them. If it was at his own concert there’s the tiny chance it could be some extreme mental break but he went were he felt welcome for this one.

                • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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                  1 year ago

                  I might have it mixed with the covid rant but I’m going off memory and I’m pretty sure Sturgis was 2017