Musician Todd Snider dead at 59 following assault, arrest in Utah
Todd Snider, a well-known American musician with a sharp sense of humor and a long career in folk and country music, has died at 59. His record label shared the news on Saturday and said he died on Friday.
The message on his social media pages asked how anyone could find the right words for a man who always found them with ease. His team said he shaped simple moments into lines that stayed with listeners.
His last weeks were filled with trouble. He canceled his tour this month after what his team called a violent assault in Utah. Holy Cross Hospital treated him for injuries and for pneumonia. After he left the hospital, officers arrested him when he returned and caused a disturbance, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The tour was meant to support his new album, High, Lonesome and Then Some, released in October. Reviewers praised the record and described Snider as a loose, funny, and honest storyteller. The album followed a career that lasted more than thirty years.
Snider learned from well-known figures like Guy Clark and John Prine. Other artists recorded his songs, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver and Tom Jones. He also wrote a track with Loretta Lynn for her 2016 album Full Circle. His label said his writing carried warmth and clarity, and many of his peers admired his eye for detail.
He often wrote early in the morning and tried to match the quality of the songwriters he respected. His rise in the early 2000s came through Prine’s label Oh Boy Records. Albums like New Connection, Hotel Rooms and East Nashville Skyline earned strong reactions from fans. Songs such as “I Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run” and “Alright Guy” shaped his public image.
Snider grew up in Oregon. He worked on his musical identity in San Marcos, Texas, then moved to Nashville. Locals called him the “mayor of East Nashville.” His track “Train Song” captured his bond with the area. He stayed active in the city’s arts scene until the end of his life.
Jimmy Buffett helped launch Snider’s early career when he signed him to Margaritaville Records. The label released Snider’s first two albums, Songs for the Daily Planet in 1994 and Step Right Up in 1996.
Snider leaves behind a large body of work and a generation of artists who admired his talent and honesty.
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