News of his death comes not long after he was hospitalized in Tennessee after struggling to breathe, following the cancellation of his tour after an alleged assault.
WASHINGTON — Singer-songwriter Todd Snider, a longtime fixture of the alt-country and Americana scenes, has died, according to a statement from his label, Aimless, Inc. He was 59.
Snider, known for his sharp storytelling and humor, was remembered by his team as a “Folk Hero” and “Poet of the World.”
“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,” the statement said. “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.”
His death comes just a day after his family and friends shared he had been undergoing extensive medical treatment after doctors discovered he had been “quietly suffering from an undiagnosed case of walking pneumonia.” Snider’s condition was described as “complicated” at the time.
Snider had returned to Tennessee last week after canceling the remainder of his “High, Lonesome and Then Some” tour. His team said he “sustained severe injuries” in an alleged assault outside his hotel in Salt Lake City. “Todd will be unable to perform for an undetermined amount of time,” the statement said.
A Salt Lake City police spokesperson told Rolling Stone Snider was treated at a hospital and discharged, later returned and was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, threat of violence and trespassing. He was released, and no formal charges were filed.
After returning home, Snider “began having trouble breathing” and was hospitalized in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where he was diagnosed with “walking pneumonia.”
Born in Oregon and later based in Nashville, Snider became a beloved figure in Americana and East Nashville’s songwriter community. He released more than two dozen albums over three decades and was mentored by Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine, Jimmy Buffett, Guy Clark and Kris Kristofferson. His songs were recorded by artists including Loretta Lynn, Mark Chesnutt, Gary Allan and Tom Jones.
His final album, “High, Lonesome and Then Some,” was released in October.
“We love you Todd, sail on old friend, we’ll see you again out there on the road somewhere down the line,” Aimless, Inc. said. “You will always be a force of nature.”