The American singer-songwriter behind ‘Alright Guy’

Todd Snider, a singer-songwriter known for blending folk, country, rock and blues musical genres, has died. He was 59 years old.

Snider’s death was announced on his Facebook page as well as on his website via a press release. The news comes after the alt-country singer was hospitalized and diagnosed with walking pneumonia, according to another Facebook post shared by friends and family.

“Aimless, Inc. Headquarters is heartbroken to announce that our founder, our folk hero, our world poet, our Vice President of Abrupt Change, the storyteller, our beloved Todd Daniel Snider has left this world,” the statement read. “Where do we find the words for the one who always had the right words, who knew how to distill everything down to the essence with words and song while delivering the most devastating, hilarious and impactful turn of phrase? Always creating rhymes and bars that immediately sounded like an old friend or a favorite cover. Someone who could almost always find the humor in this wild ride across planet Earth.”

“He conveyed so much tenderness and sensitivity through his songs and showed many of us how to look at the world from a different perspective. He got up every morning and started writing, always working to find his place among the songwriting giants who were on his record shelves, the same giants who let him into their lives and took him under their wings, whom he studied tirelessly. Guy Clark, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker,” continues the press release. “How can we move forward without the one who gave us countless 90-minute distractions from our impending doom? The one who always had 18 minutes to share a story. We will do so by carrying with us his stories and songs that contain messages of love, compassion and peace.”

Born on October 11, 1966, the “Alright Guy” singer moved to Nashville in the 1990s to pursue his music career. He was discovered by Keith Sykes, which then led to the release of his debut album, Songs for the Daily Planet in 1994. Throughout his career, he was nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the Americana Honors & Awards in 2006, launched his own label, Aimless Records, in 2008, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

On Friday, a post was shared on Facebook by Snider’s friends and family, describing his latest updates on his health. “After Todd went home to recover last week, he began having difficulty breathing and was admitted to the hospital in Hendersonville, Tennessee,” the post read. “We learned from his doctors that he was quietly suffering from an undiagnosed case of walking pneumonia.”

Snider was on tour with his latest album, High, lonely and more, released on October 17, until it was canceled because Snider, “sustained multiple injuries as the victim of a violent assault outside of his hotel,” according to Aimless, who released this statement via Instagram on November 3. It was later revealed that Snider had been arrested for an incident at Holy Cross Hospital where he was being treated for his injuries and was convicted of disorderly conduct, Billboard reported earlier this month.