Todd Snider has passed away at the age of 59 after battling an unrevealed illness (via Page Six). His label confirmed the singer’s demise through an Instagram post, praising his songwriting, storytelling, and humor. Snider had recently been hospitalized in Tennessee due to pneumonia, and his condition kept getting worse, which led to his transfer to another facility.
A post shared by Todd Snider (@toddsniderlive)
The country artist’s 2025 tour was cancelled, and it was initially scrapped because he became the victim of a violent assault in Salt Lake City. Only days after that, he was arrested at a hospital in Utah for disorderly conduct, after he reportedly yelled at the staff who discharged him sooner than he felt ready.
Snider’s fate was tragic, and having suffered from an assault before his passing must have taken a toll on his health and emotional well-being. Though it is not the direct cause of his death, the singer is now among the celebrities who were harmed before their passing, and in most cases, it was the reason for their demise.
1. Sharon Tate
Sharon Tate was a well-known actress and a rising star in Hollywood who was brutally murdered on August 9, 1969, at the age of 26 (via People). She was eight months pregnant and about to have her first child with director Roman Polanski. Tate was killed by Charles Manson’s followers, the infamous cult leader and murderer, along with four other people, at her home in Los Angeles.
2. Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye had a troubled relationship with his father, and the two got into a physical confrontation over a letter (via Los Angeles Times). The musician allegedly pushed his father, who then shot him, killing his son on the spot. Stimulants were found in the singer’s system while his father had a brain tumor, which supported claims of self-defense, avoiding prison, and only serving probation for the act.
3. Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman was a comedian and actor known for Saturday Night Live and NewsRadio. He was shot on May 28, 1998, at the age of 49 by his wife, Bryn Hartman, who was sleeping next to him. She then took her life nearly four hours later, while their two children were asleep. They found alcohol, stimulants, and antidepressants in her system, and it seemed like she had relapsed after sobriety (via People).
4. Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne was an aspiring actress, best known for starring in Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist. She was strangled by John Sweeney, a sous chef with whom she had a brief but troubled relationship. The incident took place at her Los Angeles home, and she died five days after it, at the young age of 22 (via Cosmopolitan). Her culprit was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, but only served two and a half years in prison!
5. Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca Schaeffer began her career as a model during her teenage years and then moved to acting. She was only 21 and had a bright future ahead, until an obsessed fan named Robert John Bardo shot her on July 18, 1989. He allegedly stalked her for three years and even obtained the address of her residence through a private investigator (via News Nation).
On the day he murdered her, he visited her home twice and shot her in the chest the second time. She was rushed to a hospital but died shortly after, and Bardo was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Her death brought changes in the system, as California passed the nation’s first anti-stalking laws and Congress passed the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act that restricted people’s access to private information.
6. Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace is the founder of Versace, a luxury fashion house. He was an Italian fashion designer and a prominent businessman, flourishing in showbiz until he was shot in the back of the head (via Time). Andrew Cunanan, a 27-year-old serial killer, held a gun to Versace’s head at point-blank range and pulled the trigger twice, right outside the designer’s Miami Beach mansion.
The killer’s motivation remained unclear because Versace shared no personal connection with him, though it is suspected that Cunanan may have targeted gay men to seek revenge on former partners or clients that he suspected of infecting him with HIV. Before Versace, Cunanan had murdered four other men, including his exes and acquaintances.
7. Christina Grimmie
Christina Grimmie was an up-and-coming singer, known for her covers before releasing her own music. Grimmie was only 22, a former contestant on The Voice, and everyone believed she had only good things ahead of her, given the immense talent she possessed.
However, she was fatally shot during a post-concert meet-and-greet event in June 2016 (via Los Angeles Times). She died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and her death was ruled a homicide. The person who attacked her was a fan attending the event, and the case brought widespread attention to the safety of performers.
8. Dimebag Darrell
Heavy metal fans will know who Dimebag Darrell is, the American guitarist who played for Pantera and Damageplan. He was fatally shot onstage at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Ohio, and the shooter was a 25-year-old former Marine (via All That’s Interesting).
He was reportedly obsessed with Darrell’s band, Pantera, and was angry about them separating, believing that the guitarist was responsible for the same. He also killed Damageplan’s head of security, another employee at a venue, a fan and injured others before he was shot dead by a police officer after he had taken someone hostage.
9. Adrienne Shelly
Adrienne Shelly was a woman of many talents! She could act, direct films, and write scripts. Shelly was recognized for working on The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, and even went on to direct a film that was adapted into a Broadway musical.
On November 1, 2006, she was strangled by a 19-year-old named Diego Pillco during an attempted robbery at her office apartment in the West Village (via The Guardian). The killer tried to stage her death as a suicide, but due to the persistence of Shelly’s husband and the discovery of a shoeprint, the crime was solved.
Here’s an overview of all the celebrities and the cause of their death:
These tragic stories of Todd Snider and all the other celebrities listed above show us that fame and talent do not shield people from violence. On the contrary, they can make individuals and artists more susceptible to unforeseen dangers, such as stalking and obsessions.
Remembering these figures is not about mourning their loss, but also acknowledging their talent and potential, which was all taken away way too soon. While all these tragedies are harrowing, which one disturbed you the most when you first heard about it?
