This Labor Day was a rough one for music fans. Two beloved musicians died during the extended weekend: "Margaritaville" creator Jimmy Buffett, and Steve Harwell – the charismatic singer behind Smash Mouth's "All Star" and "Walking On the Sun."
Buffett passed away on Friday, September 1. Harwell perished on Labor Day itself. Buffett died due to complications with Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, which he had been diagnosed with four years earlier. Harwell entered hospice care for final stage chronic liver failure. Buffett was 76 when he died, while Harwell's life was cut short at age 56.
Jimmy Buffett
Tropical troubadour Jimmy Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He was raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. He eventually moved to Key West, Florida, where he found his unique musical style.
One of his first songs to draw attention was “Come Monday,” from his 1974 album “Living & Dying in ¾ Time.” He later told David Letterman, “This is a song that kept me from killing myself in a Howard Johnson’s in Marin County. It hit, I paid the rent, got my dog out of the pound...and the rest is history.”
From there, Buffett would go on to famously put “Margaritaville” on the map in 1977. It was his only Top 10 song and became his signature. Buffett largely ignored pop music or MTV trends of his time and focused instead on appeasing his "Parrotheads." Using clever wordplay, he married country sounds with Caribbean music and manifested more hits such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.”
A savvy businessman, Buffett later parlayed the “Margaritaville” aesthetic to power his career through decades of lucrative concert tours – and branding of restaurants, casinos, retirement communities, bestselling books, a resort in Times Square, and even a Broadway musical. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at $1 billion.
During his lifetime, Buffett was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, won two Country Music Association awards during his career, and was nominated twice for Grammy Awards. He passed away in his residence, located in Sag Harbor, N.Y., on Long Island. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement released to his social page reads. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.” Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol, and three children.
Steve Harwell
Steve Harwell was born on January 9, 1967 in Santa Clara, California. Harwell, Greg Camp, Kevin Coleman, and Paul De Lisle formed Smash Mouth in 1994. Previously, Harwell had been a rapper in the group F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech).
Smash Mouth have released two platinum albums over the course of their career: 1997's Fush Yu Mang and 1999's Astro Lounge, which featured the chart-topping "All Star." The aggressively upbeat song became the group's signature, especially after it was featured during the intro of the 2001 animated blockbuster Shrek.
Of course, "All Star" wasn't the group's only hit. Their first track to properly break into the mainstream was the laid-back "Walkin' on the Sun" from Fush Yu Mang. The group's cover of the Monkees song "I'm a Believer," which was also featured in Shrek, helped cement Smash Mouth as a rock staple of the early 2000s.
Harwell's death comes soon after his retirement from Smash Mouth in 2021. The gruff singer performed with his band for several years until major health complications arose. He was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2013, which led to other medical setbacks like heart failure and Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The latter problem impacts motor functions, including speech and memory. It presumably contributed to an infamously disoriented performance from Harwell at a 2021 New York concert. Clips from that concert – which showed Harwell slurring his words, giving crude gestures, and making vaguely threatening comments towards the audience – went viral...much to the band's dismay.
But despite Harwell's retirement, Smash Mouth was able to continue and still lives on today. The band continues to tour with new vocalist Zach Goode. Smash Mouth has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and has five Top 40 singles, as well as a Grammy nomination.
Harwell died early Monday (September 4) at his home in Boise, Idaho. His representative, Robert Hayes, said: "He was surrounded by family and friends and passed peacefully and comfortably." Smash Mouth paid tribute to their former founding member with a statement on social media.
"Steve Harwell was a true American Original," the statement reads. "A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. Rest in peace knowing you aimed for the stars, and magically hit your target. Rest easy."
Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve will be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom.
— Smash Mouth (@smashmouth) September 4, 2023
Rest in peace knowing you aimed for the… pic.twitter.com/qZDliiIl30
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Article Image: Jimmy Buffett in 2006, Steve Harwell singing with Smash Mouth in 2000. (s_bukley and s_bukley via DepositPhotos)
