Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell is apparently retiring from music following a reportedly disoriented concert in Upstate New York.
Variety reports that the controversial performance saw the singer slurring his words and making vaguely threatening comments toward those watching his music. Sadly, this all unfolded following years of Harwell battling health problems and the band using a stand-in vocalist at some recent shows.
The 54-year-old singer apparently made the announcement to TMZ, although there wasn’t a formal posting on the band’s website or social media accounts.
“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. 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.”
Having been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy eight years ago, subsequent health problems began to arise for the singer, such as heart failure and Wernicke’s encephalopathy, according to TMZ. The latter health condition was also known to impact Harwell’s motor functions, speech, and memory, presumably issues that were on display during the disoriented performance in Bethel, NY, Saturday, clips of which have been circulating widely on the internet.
Having previously said he would be taking a break from performing, that hiatus is apparently now permanent.
“To our loyal and amazing fans, thank you, all of this was possible because of you. I’ve tried so hard to power through my physical and mental health issues, and to play in front of you one last time, but I just wasn’t able to…I cannot wait to see what Smash Mouth accomplishes next and am looking forward to counting myself as one of the band’s newest fans,” he told TMZ
It’s a sort of somber conclusion for the Smash Mouth lead singer, who undoubtedly left an indelible mark on American culture; look no further than the Shrek films for proof of that. As for who could be his replacement? There’s just one suggestion…