Every year, the Grammy Awards ceremony has a dedicated segment for those musicians who sadly departed within the said year. However, there was one that the organizers might have missed; who was it?
According to Billboard, this year, the "In Memoriam" segment paid tribute to late singers such as Sinéad O'Connor, Tina Turner, Jimmy Buffet, and more.
However, one was missing from the lineup, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth, who sadly passed away in September 2023.
Really #Grammys? You forgot to include Steve Harwell from Smash Mouth during the In Memoriam segment? He was a Grammy-nominee! pic.twitter.com/sAfEX7HCSI
— Trash Panda 🗑️🐼 (@rduran) February 5, 2024
Smash Mouth Manager Breaks Silence
Later on, the outlet reached out to Robert Hayes, the manager of Smash Mouth, and like what fans felt, he was also disappointed that the late artist was not included in the segment even though he and his band had been nominated in the past.
"Does anyone watch the Grammys anymore? That show hasn't been good in over 20 years. And they never acknowledged Steve when he was alive so why would we think they would honor him when he's dead?" Hayes said.
The manager didn't stop there as he added, "Rude and disrespectful."
Steve Harwell and Smash Mouth were previously nominated for a Grammy award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for the song "All Star" back in 2000.
The group didn't win as the category awarded Santana featuring The Project G&B for their track "Maria Maria."
What Happened to Steve Harwell?
Years prior to his death, Steve Harwell revealed that he will retire from being a frontman of the famed band. In his retirement statement, he mentioned that it had been his long dream to become a rock star and perform at sold-out shows.
The musician was able to do that with Smash Mouth, but he had to retire in 2021.
"To my bandmates, it's been an honor performing with you all these years. I can't think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with," he added.
Harwell passed away on September 4, 2023, at his home in Boise, Idaho. He reportedly had been under hospice care. The musician suffered from health issues as he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.
His cause of death was said to be acute liver failure, as reported by Today.
After his death, the remaining members of Smash Mouth are Paul De Lisle, Michael Klooster, Randy Cooke, Zach Goode, and Sean Hurwitz.
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