NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Todd Snider, the beloved Americana singer-songwriter known for his witty, freewheeling, cosmic-stoner style, has died at 59.
His record label announced Saturday that Snider died Friday. Earlier, his family said he had been hospitalized in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with pneumonia, and complications had worsened. The diagnosis followed the cancellation of a tour after Snider was assaulted in the Salt Lake City area. However, police later arrested him for refusing to leave a hospital and later returning to threaten staff, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The canceled tour supported his latest album, “High, Lonesome and Then Some,” released in October. Over three decades, Snider blended folk, rock, and country, earning a reputation as a “stoner troubadour” and “cosmic comic.” He was inspired and mentored by Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, and John Prine, with songs recorded by artists such as Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver, and Tom Jones. He also co-wrote a song with Loretta Lynn for her 2016 album “Full Circle.”
Snider’s acclaimed early-2000s work on Prine’s label Oh Boy included “New Connection,” “Near Truths and Hotel Rooms,” and “East Nashville Skyline,” which produced signature songs like “I Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run,” and “Alright Guy.”
Born in Oregon, Snider honed his craft in Texas before settling in Nashville, where he was affectionately called the unofficial “mayor of East Nashville.” Jimmy Buffett was an early supporter, releasing Snider’s first two albums on his Margaritaville label.