What happened to Todd Snider? Revered Troubadour opened up about physical and emotional pain a month before death

Todd Snider, one of Americana's most authentic and free-spirited voices, died on November 14, 2025. He was only 59 years old. In the month of October, he spoke with Rolling Stone in an interview where he opened up about his struggles with loneliness, bereavement, and chronic pain.

Todd's final moments were filled with health and emotional turmoil, including canceling his tour because of "severe injuries as the victim of a violent assault," and his stay at the hospital.

Only a few weeks had passed since Snider said in Rolling Stone that he didn't think he was "going to get better."

Todd Snider was an artist full of raw lyricism and humor.

Todd Snider had just revealed in an October 2025 interview with Rolling Stone that he recently contracted the severe degenerative disease called spinal stenosis in his spine. He added that the illness has caused him continued problems with mobility and chronic pain after decades of nonstop traveling and "hard living," keeping him off the road for over three years:

“I’ve got this arthritic shit they call stenosis, which makes it painful all over… I do a lot of things to try to help it, but I have to make peace with it, too. Which hasn’t been easy.”

Todd Snider was getting ready for a 14-day tour to promote his new album, High, Lonesome, and Then Some, which he intimated would be his final, despite his deteriorating health:

“I told my team that I want this tour to be the funnest one. I at least want to do it one more time. After that, I may just have to do one show at a time, but that’s been coming for a while.”

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Todd Snider's toll of loss: friends and heroes gone too soon

Grief was a significant theme in Snider's later work and personal reflections. He lost a number of his closest friends and mentors in the last few years, all of whom have influenced his style and view. They include Jeff Austin, Neal Casal, John Prine, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

All of them were significant in Todd Snider's life and his music. Snider said that he was “still trying to make sense of.” He told Rolling Stones:

“It’s all heartache. I wouldn’t say I’m better, and I don’t think I’m going to get better, but the last decade was hard in my personal life. In the last couple of years, it’s gotten harder, and I felt like the title. I sat out here by myself and had, like, a dark night of the soul.”

Jerry Jeff Walker

Jeff Walker, who was also known as the legendary “Mr. Bojangles”, was a songwriter and pioneer of Texas outlaw country who had played a major role in Snider's music compass. Walker battled throat cancer for a long time before passing away in October 2020.

Walker's death took a toll on Snider, who frequently referred to him as his inspiration. Snider said:

“He tried to create moments, and make it like a fun trip when you make an album. I tried to do that.”

The bond and the history they shared is reflected on Snider's album High, Lonesome and Then Some, especially in the title track. Todd Snider created what he termed a "slow choogle," a rhythm which is laidback and heartfelt, by channelling Walker's style.

John Prine

Another setback from which Todd Snider never fully recovered was the death of John Prine in April 2020. Prine had been a dear friend and mentor before passing away from COVID-19 complications. In 2021, Snider released "Handsome John," which was a tribute to Prine.

Jeff Austin

In June 2019, Jeff Austin, the co-founder of the Yonder Mountain String Band and a bluegrass mandolinist, passed away at the age of 45 following a medical emergency that put him in a medically induced coma. His demise had also affected Todd Snider since the two had a close connection.

Neal Casal

Neal Casal was also another guitarist and songwriter that Snider mourned. He played alongside Snider in Hard Working Americans. Casal committed suicide in August 2019, which not only devastated Todd Snider but the whole music community.

As mentioned in Premier Guitar, Casal had battled depression for a long time, which Snider subsequently claimed caused him to reconsider how he felt about loneliness and mental health. Todd Snider told Rolling Stone:

“I talked to both [Jeff Austin and Neal Casal] of them on the day they left us. I still struggle with that the most of all of it. Then there were a couple of breakups. We all have our day.”

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Weeks before he died, Todd Snider was admitted for pneumonia after being attacked in Utah. His condition worsened, which led to his ultimate demise.

Following his death, his record label released a statement:

"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? 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."

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