Illness and death
Harwell had struggled with alcoholism. Harwell was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and Wernicke encephalopathy in 2013 after years of alcoholism, which can cause heart failure and affect motor functions such as speech and memory. Harwell was admitted to hospital in 2017 as a result of his cardiomyopathy, which led to the cancellation of a show. Harwell implied he retired because these problems hindered his ability to perform well.
Harwell's representative reported that he was in hospice care for final stage chronic liver failure on September 3, 2023 and that he only had "few days to live". Harwell died the next day at his home in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 56. In tribute, the band's manager, Robert Hayes, said "Steve lived a 100% full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out".
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