Carson Daly recalls the early days of Smash Mouth’s success as a tribute to Steve Harwell

CNN
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Carson Daly remembers his friend Steve Harwell, co-founder and former lead singer of the rock band Smash Mouth, who passed away on Monday at the age of 56.

The “Today Show” host and former MTV VJ rose to fame during the same era as Harwell’s Smash Mouth, and Daley took the time to reflect on how often their paths crossed earlier in their careers.

Dali to publish He paid tribute to Harwell on Monday on Instagram, writing that he went “down the rabbit hole of ’90s music memories” after hearing the news of Harwell’s death.

I met Steve and the band in 1995 when I was DJing at KOME in San Jose, California, where the band was from. The new party) we’ve played their song “Nervous In The Alley” a billion times.

Daly writes that in 1996, he landed his “dream job” at Los Angeles FM radio station KROQ-LA, where he continued to support his friend’s band. He added that Harwell and the band had flown him to Los Angeles from the Bay Area.

After introducing Smash Mouth’s 1997 song “Walking on the Sun” during a music meeting at the station, Daly wrote that his colleagues “loved” it. It became a “big hit” on the station, something Daly described as “unheard of” for an unsigned band.

Harwell himself went to great lengths to boost the band’s early fame—personally taking their 1999 hit record “Astro Lounge” to radio stations across the country to play it over the airwaves.

“We never do anything traditional,” Harwell said in 1999. We never enter through the front door. It’s always the back door, open window or something like that, so we can play our own thing.

Daly went on to television success on MTV’s “Total Request Live” in 1998, while Smash Mouth’s popularity skyrocketed after the release of “Astro Lounge”. The album included hits like “All Star” and “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby”.

“Many years have passed and I knew Steve’s dark days,” Daly said books. “Life has taken some bad turns for him including the tragic death of his son in 2001 and addiction issues. I have always been rooting for him and praying for him.”

His manager, Robert Hayes, told CNN that Harwell died at his home in Boise, Idaho, with his family and friends at his side. The cause of death has not been announced, but Harwell has been receiving hospice care in recent days.

“He has brought joy to millions with his music, and it is fortunate that his legacy lives on,” Daly wrote at the end of his tribute.