Alt-country singer-songwriter Todd Snider has passed away at 59. His record label, Aimless, posted a statement on the musician’s Instagram account, 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? Always creating rhyme and meter that immediately felt like an old friend or a favorite blanket. Someone who could almost always find the humor in this crazy ride on Planet Earth.”
Snider’s family shared on November 14 that he had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia, just weeks after his involvement in an alleged assault at a Salt Lake City hotel that left him with “severe injuries.” No cause of death has been officially released.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Snider cut his teeth in Texas in the 1980s, befriending Jerry Jeff Walker before moving to Nashville and becoming an east-side legend. East Nashville Skyline, released in 2004, remains one of the most pivotal Americana records of the last 25 years. His song “Alright Guy” was a minor hit, earning him a performance on Conan O’Brien and David Letterman’s late-night shows and some credible airplay on VH1 in 1996.
Snider kept his circle small but prestigious, running around with the likes of Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, John Prine, and Kris Kristofferson. He even had a stint in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band once upon a time. Snider was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2021. Watch his Paste Session in Nashville below.
