Country music star Todd Snider, known for his alt-country hits like “Alright Guy” and “Just Like Old Times,” has died following a battle with a mysterious illness. He was 59.
Snider passed away on Friday, according to an Instagram post shared by the singer’s record label, Aimless, Inc. Headquarters.
“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?” the statement read.
“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.”
“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 Saturday statement continued.
“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.”
Snider’s family previously revealed in a Friday statement that the singer was diagnosed with pneumonia during his stay at a hospital in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
After his condition worsened due to complications, the “Trouble” hitmaker was transferred to another facility.
At the time, the family requested that Snider’s fans “say a prayer, light a candle, roll one up, send strength, or just keep him close in your heart” during the tough time.
“You’ve carried him through so much over the years, and he needs that from all of us now more than ever,” the message continued.
His death comes shortly after his tour in support of his most recent album, “High, Lonesome and Then Some,” which released in October, was canceled earlier this month.
The tour was axed after he was allegedly the victim of a violent assault in the Salt Lake City area, according to a Nov. 3 statement from his management team.
However, Snider was later arrested by Salt Lake City police after he caused a disturbance at the Holy Cross Hospital where he was being treated.
The singer was reportedly yelling and cursing at the hospital staff after they discharged him before he was apparently ready, per the Salt Lake Tribune.
He was charged with disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and threatening violence.
Born and raised in Oregon, Snider’s musical influences were based on artists like Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark and John Prine.
He got his start in the music industry as a young artist signed to Jimmy Buffet’s record label, Margaritaville, which released his first two albums 1994’s “Songs for the Daily Planet” and 1996’s “Step Right Up.”
He went on to write songs for several major artists including Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver and Tom Jones. He also co-wrote a song with Loretta Lynn that appeared on her 2016 album, “Full Circle.”
