\n<\/p>\n
Todd Snider<\/a>, the longtime Americana singer-songwriter known for his satirical folk songs and empathetic ballads, has died, reports The New York Times<\/em><\/a>. His publicist confirmed that Snider died from pneumonia on Friday (November 14) in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 59.<\/p>\n Last month, Snider canceled his remaining tour dates in support of High, Lonesome, and Then Some<\/em>, his new album, after sustaining \u201csevere injuries<\/a>\u201d in an assault outside his Salt Lake City hotel. A statement posted to Snider\u2019s Instagram<\/a> said the musician would be \u201cunable to perform for an undetermined amount of time\u201d and that he was receiving the \u201cneeded medical treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n Snider\u2019s cheeky lyrics and rustic voice lent his Americana songs a certain air of timelessness. While his biggest hits \u201cAlright Guy\u201d and \u201cConservative, Christian, Right Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Male\u201d earned him an alternative fanbase, his ear for folk hooks and lyrical details garnered the attention of John Prine and Jimmy Buffett, both of whom took Snider under their wing early on. Over the years, numerous artists went on to cover Snider\u2019s songs\u2014Loretta Lynn, Billy Joe Shaver, Tom Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Jack Ingram\u2014after being drawn to his storytelling.<\/p>\n Snider considered himself to be the \u201cNashville antihero.\u201d Although most often heralded for his tongue-in-cheek approach to lyric writing, he was largely the poet of stoners, unconventional artists, and people who opted to take life slowly, telling country tales with a judgement-free approach that felt more at ease than confrontational or intentionally barbed. Over a dozen different studio albums, Snider sang about unlucky adventurers, low-key outlaws, the cyclical nature of substance abuse, and the multilayered depths of grief, beginning with his 1994 debut full-length Songs for the Daily Planet<\/em>. Yet onstage, he always found extra space for humor, providing rambling introductions to his songs to make his audiences laugh or lean in closer to hear his words.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m certain I don\u2019t have any answers, and I want the people who listen to my songs to know that,\u201d Snider told the Times<\/em><\/a> in 2009. \u201cIf someone learns something from me, that would be their fault.\u201d<\/p>\n Born on October 11, 1966 in Portland, Oregon, Snider ran away at age 16 to visit friends around the country. As he traveled across the United States, he ended up spending a long stretch in Austin before relocating to Memphis. It was there that he caught Buffett\u2019s attention, played a short stint in his Coral Reefer Band, and was offered a spot on his Margaritaville label come 1993. After releasing three albums\u20141994\u2019s Songs for the Daily Planet<\/em>, 1996\u2019s Step Right Up<\/em>, and 1998\u2019s Viva Satellite<\/em>\u2014Snider was left stranded when the record label changed owners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n