Harwell’s music career began in rap, performing with the hip-hop act F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech), but switched to rock and pop after meeting guitarist Greg Camp and bassist Paul De Lisle in 1994. The trio brought drummer Kevin Coleman into the fray, and Smash Mouth was born. Their 1997 ska-influenced debut, “Fush Yu Mang,” was a success, propelled by the single “Walkin’ on the Sun.” Two years later, their second album, “Astro Lounge,” launched them into superstardom, thanks to one of the best-known pop songs of the era, “All Star.” The song was featured in several hit movies, including “Shrek,” and Harwell became the face of the band, thanks in part to his performance in the song’s music video. The band had a second hit associated with the “Shrek” movies when they covered “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees for the 2004 sequel.

In 2001, Harwell lost his six-month-old son, Presley, to acute lymphocytic leukemia. He later appeared on the VH1 reality show “The Surreal Life” in 2006. As time wore on, alcoholism and chronic health conditions took their toll. Harwell increasingly exhibited erratic on-stage behavior, including a 2021 incident in which he gave a Nazi salute and threatened to kill audience members. Shortly afterward, he left the band to retire and in 2023, he entered hospice for liver failure just prior to his death.

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