Todd Snider, the influential alt-country singer-songwriter who created Americana hits such as Alright Guy, has died at 59.
His passing was shared through announcements on his official social media accounts. Although no cause of death was provided, his family shared on Friday that he had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia.
His record label posted a statement on social media, writing: “Aimless, Inc. Headquarters is heartbroken to share that our Founder, our Folk Hero, our Poet of the World, our Vice President of the Abrupt Change Dept., the Storyteller, our beloved Todd Daniel Snider has departed this world. Where do we find the words for the one who always had the right words, who knew how to distill everything down to its essence with words and song while delivering the most devastating, hilarious, and impactful turn of phrases?”
It continued: “He relayed so much tenderness and sensitivity through his songs, and showed many of us how to look at the world through a different lens. He got up every morning and started writing, always working towards finding his place among the songwriting giants that sat on his record shelves, those same giants who let him into their lives and took him under their wings, who he studied relentlessly. Guy Clark, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker.”
Snider had previously spoken openly about the chronic pain he endured because of spinal stenosis. Earlier this month, his team called off the remainder of his tour, reporting before a scheduled performance in Salt Lake City: “Todd sustained severe injuries as the victim of a violent assault outside of his hotel.”
Not long after, police said that Snider had been arrested for disorderly conduct. Body-camera footage circulated showing Snider telling officers he was in pain. When asked whether he was unhoused, he replied that he was “famous”, explaining that his band had left town after the show was canceled.
Salt Lake City police also told reporters they had no record of the assault described in the earlier press statement, according to Variety.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Snider headed to northern California after graduating high school, then drifted to Texas during the 1980s. There he crossed paths with Jerry Jeff Walker, who became an important mentor. By the 1990s, Snider had settled in Nashville, where he became a defining figure of the gritty east Nashville scene. His 2004 release East Nashville Skyline remains a cornerstone of the alt-country world.
