The Americana songwriter was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threat of violence, and trespassing after sustaining injuries earlier this month.

Todd Snider, alt-country singer, dies at 59 just weeks after arrest and hospitalization following ‘violent assault’

The Americana songwriter was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threat of violence, and trespassing after sustaining injuries earlier this month.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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November 15, 2025 4:28 p.m. ET

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Singer-songwriter Todd Snider in 2006. Credit:

J. Vespa/WireImage

- Alt-country musician Todd Snider died Friday at 59.

- He was hospitalized after an alleged "violent assault" in Salt Lake City and then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, threat of violence, and criminal trespassing.

- The singer-songwriter was also diagnosed with "walking pneumonia" after returning from the hospital.

Todd Snider, a beloved Americana musician whose career spanned four decades, has died.

The singer-songwriter died at the age of 59 on Friday, his official social media accounts announced on Saturday morning.

A cause of death was not immediately provided, though Snider's social media had announced just one day before that he was diagnosed with "walking pneumonia" after spending time in the hospital due to "severe injuries as the victim of a violent assault" earlier this month.

The posts suggested that Snider's pneumonia predated the alleged attack but that he was not diagnosed with it until he went to the hospital for his injuries.

"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," a post on Snider's Instagram said. "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?"

Todd Snider performs at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, in 2009.

Jason Merritt/FilmMagic

The post memorialized Snider's songs as vessels of "tenderness and sensitivity," noting that he "showed many of us how to look at the world through a different lens."

The post concluded, "Today, put on one of your favorite Todd Snider records and 'play it loud enough to wake up all of your neighbors or at least loud enough to always wake yourself up.' We love you, Todd. Sail on, old friend. We'll see you again out there on the road somewhere down the line. You will always be a force of nature."

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Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell posted a brief tribute to Snider on Threads on Saturday. "Freak flags at half-staff for the Storyteller and all the songs he still had left to write," he wrote. "I sure did love him."

Fiona Prine, the wife of legendary songwriter John Prine, also shared her condolences in the comments of the post announcing Snider's death. "We are devastated that Todd has left us way too soon. He is now in the arms of Boundless Love. We will miss you, friend, in so, so many ways," she wrote. "The Prine family send deep condolences to his family and all those who loved him."

Producer Butch Walker also shared his memories of Snider in a comment. "This is the worst news this a.m.," he wrote. "He was such a sweet man with a brain bigger than most. Love you, Todd. Thank you for your contribution to art and intelligence in this sometimes shallow world."

Todd Snider performs at Austin City Limits in 2022.

Rick Kern/WireImage

Earlier this month, Snider was arrested in Salt Lake City, according to jail records indicating that he was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threat of violence, and criminal trespassing.

Police told PEOPLE at the time that after he was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries from the alleged attack, he refused to leave and began "making threats to assault staff members."

Snider canceled the remaining dates of his *High, Lonesome, and Then Some* Tour after the incident, with his social media account announcing that he would be "unable to perform for an undetermined amount of time."

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Born in 1966 in Portland, Ore., Snider moved to San Marcos, Texas, as a young man, and saw country musician Jerry Jeff Walker perform at a concert that inspired him to learn guitar and become a songwriter. After honing his musical skills, Snider relocated to Memphis and landed a weekly gig at the Daily Planet club, which eventually resulted in his 1994 debut album, *Songs for the Daily Planet*.

Snider connected with songwriter Keith Sykes, who in turn led him to Prine, who became a valued mentor, and Jimmy Buffet, who eventually signed Snider to his Margaritaville Records label. He went on to release 20 more solo albums across several different labels. His 2004 record, *East Nashville Skyline,* helped him become a key figure in the alt-country, folk-rock, and modern Americana scenes.

Snider was also a founding member of the group Hard Working Americans, which also featured Widespread Panic's Dave Schools and Duane Trucks. The group released two studio albums and two live albums in the mid-2010s.

Snider's songs have been performed by a number of other artists, including Sykes, Jerry Jeff Walker, Loretta Lynn, Tom Jones, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Earl Keen, Gary Allan, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, and Rick Trevino.

The musician also appeared on several episodes of the Adult Swim cartoon *Squidbillies* and sang the theme song for the series. His 2006 song "Just Like Old Times" inspired the 2020 film *Hard Luck Love Song*. He also penned the 2014 book *I Never Met a Story I Didn't Like: Mostly True Tall Tales*.

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Source: “AOL Music”