Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell is remembered by Guy Fieri and NYSNC members Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick… after his death at 56 from liver failure

Guy Fieri and members of the boy band NSYNC were among those who paid tribute to the late Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell on Monday.

The rocker’s death was revealed hours earlier in a statement from his manager Robert Hayes, who shared a day earlier that he had been hospitalized in his final days.

While his official cause of death has not been confirmed, Hayes noted that the Smash Mouth frontman was in the final stages of liver failure after years of alcohol abuse, culminating in an inconclusive 2021 performance in which he shouted obscenities and made death threats. stage with his band while seemingly drunk.

In addition to Fieri’s tribute, several musicians remembered the singer, including Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick of contemporaries NSYNC, as well as Eve 6 vocalist Max Collins.

The tribute follows a eulogy for Harwell that surfaced when his famous friends and admirers learned of his impending death.

TV presenter Guy Fieri showed off his standard bleached blonde hair and goatee as he posed with a beaming Harwell in a selfie he posted to Twitter on Sunday.

Fieri covered up in a baseball cap and sunglasses while wearing a long necklace, and the Smash Mouth singer wore hexagonal sunglasses while showing off a head of short white hair.

“To my brutha Steve,” Fieri began, wishing Harwell to rest in peace. “Today is a sad day, I will miss my friend.”

NSYNC’s Joey Fatone shared a vintage photo of himself and Harwell, beaming at the camera, and Harwell could be seen holding a plastic drinking cup.

Fatone wrote that he had “knew this guy for a long time,” adding that Smash Mouth “opened for NSync” before Harwell acted as his “wedding singer.”

‘We had fun times! Sad that all things must come to an end and sometimes too soon because of things beyond repair, because too much damage has been done… but let’s face it, it’s never too late!’ he said hopefully.

“Hopefully people dealing with addiction will get the right help they need. It’s a crazy world we live in right now..thinking/praying for everyone…RIP Steve!’ he concluded, referring to Harwell’s struggles with alcohol abuse over the years.

NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick also had good feelings for the Walkin’ On The Sun singer.

‘Rest in peace, my friend. I’m really sorry for the difficult battle you had to fight. You were a wonderful soul and you will be greatly missed.”

Max Collins, the singer and bassist for the band Eve 6, shared a tribute to Harwell from his Twitter account, which uses the band’s name.

RIP Steve Harwell. You have brought much joy to many people. You were much more than a meme,” he wrote, referring to Harwell’s fame from Smash Mouth.

Earlier on Sunday, tributes poured in for Harwell’s death after it was announced that he had entered hospice care.

The Smash Mouth frontman would be surrounded by his family members as he enters his final days, his manager said TMZ on Sunday.

Fellow singer Bret Michaels posted a touching tribute to the musician on social media. He said, “All my thoughts, prayers and well wishes are with my friend Steve Harwell. I knew you are a fighter, keep fighting my brother.”

Harwell reportedly had dealt with alcohol abuse and its physical consequences for years. In October 2021, Smash Mouth fans became concerned about Harwell’s well-being after he saw his speech slurred, cursed and made threats during a concert.

A representative for Smash Mouth told DailyMail.com that “Steve is resting at home and being cared for by his fiancé and hospice care.”

He added: “My only additional comment is that we hope people will respect the privacy of Steve and his family during this difficult time.”

More tributes have poured in on social media, with many fans saying they are heartbroken to hear of Harwell’s illness.

An adoring fan wrote on X, “I am genuinely heartbroken by the news of Smash Mouth’s Steve Harwell.

“I had known for a while that his health was not good, but NOT like this. And although I know SM from All Star & I’m A Believer, I’ve listened to quite a few of their songs since then. Thanks, Steve.’

Another said, “I feel so sorry for Steve Harwell. His music made our lives better when we were part of Smash Mouth. His singing was the best, even in the songs he did for Shrek. Another piece of my youth is being lost.’

Others wrote touchingly that Harwell “will forever be a true All Star.”

The musician was a founding member of Smash Mouth when the band first came together in 1994.

Steve and the rest of Smash Mouth rose to fame with catchy singles like Walkin’ On The Sun, Why Can’t We Be Friends and All Star and found worldwide success when they appeared in the 2001 film Shrek.

In addition to All Star playing a prominent role in the movie, fans loved Smash Mouth’s cover of the classic Monkees hit I’m A Believer.

Harwell was one of the only two regular members of the original Smash Mouth group until his retirement, and faced health and substance abuse problems after the band’s smash success.

In 2013, the California-born singer was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a cluster of diseases that negatively affect the heart.

After the daunting diagnosis, the Rat Race star also suffered a second medical setback: Wernicke encephalopathy.

The life-threatening neurological condition can cause a slew of negative symptoms, such as confusion, difficulty walking, and hypothermia.

In 2021, the All Star singer caused concern after he was seen slurring his speech at the event in Bethel, New York as he cursed and lashed out at the audience.

The audience suspected he was drunk during the concert, which was described by one audience member as “the most chaotic show ever seen.”

The band also made headlines in 2020 with a concert at South Dakota’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August amid a time of high coronavirus numbers.

Harwell’s camp previously said he would take a break to deal with ongoing health issues, his agent said TMZ that the singer was dealing with cardiomyopathy and heart problems.

Harwell’s rep said the singer was resting and adjusting his medication.