Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of Smash Mouth, is in hospice care, a representative for the rock band confirmed to several media outlets.
Harwell, 56, co-founded the group in 1994 and remained the band’s frontman until his retirement in 2021. The group is noted for its hits, “All Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun.”
Robert Hayes, a representative for the singer, said that Harwell was resting at home and being cared for by his fiancé and hospice care workers, CBS News and Billboard reported.
TMZ was the first outlet to report on Harwell’s health status. The website reported that Harwell was in the final stages of liver failure.
That condition has not been confirmed by Hayes.
“Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time,” Hayes told Billboard.
“My only additional comment is that we would hope that people would respect Steve and his family’s privacy during this difficult time,” Hayes told CBS News.
Harwell was previously hospitalized in August 2016 after collapsing during a concert in Urbana, Illinois, Entertainment Weekly reported. The following year, Smash Mouth postponed several concert dates while Harwell underwent treatment for heart problems, according to the entertainment news website.
The band’s first single was “Walkin’ on the Sun” in 1997, and two years later the group reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “All Star.” The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals in 2000.
Zach Goode became the band’s lead singer last year, CBS News reported. The band has not commented publicly about Harwell’s condition.