Singer-songwriter Todd Snider was recently forced to cancel his performance that was scheduled for this weekend in South Salt Lake after claiming that he had been assaulted before the concert. Soon after, he was arrested for allegedly causing a disturbance at the hospital where he was treated, as reported by Fox 13 Now.
For those who might not know, he was currently on his High, Lonesome and Then Some 2025 tour, set to play at The Commonwealth Room for the second stop when this incident happened. While the South Salt Lake Police Department has not confirmed anything regarding an assault, court documents reportedly show that Snider, 59, was arrested on Sunday.
Following this unfortunate turn of events, Snider’s tour has been canceled as well, with a note from Aimless Inc. on his social media pages revealing that he will be “unable to perform for an undetermined amount of time.” The post, shared on Instagram, read,
We are heartbroken to announce the cancellation of the High, Lonesome and Then Some 2025 Tour dates. Ahead of Todd Snider’s show in Salt Lake City, Todd sustained severe injuries as the victim of a violent assault outside of his hotel.
Todd will be unable to perform for an undetermined amount of time. We deeply apologize for the cancellation and any inconvenience it causes. We appreciate your understanding as Todd receives needed medical treatment. We hope to have more information on new dates soon.
His upcoming performances, which have now been canceled, notably included shows in West Hollywood, San Francisco, Napa, Santa Cruz, and Eugene in California; Portland in Oregon; Seattle and Spokane in Washington State; Missoula and Bozeman in Montana; and Pelham in Tennessee, all of which were scheduled for later this year.
Then, for 2026, he had Chattanooga and Knoxville in Tennessee, Charlotte in North Carolina, and Fernandina Beach, Clearwater, and Boca Raton in Florida lined up, where he would have performed until the beginning of February 2026. In the wake of this latest turn of events, however, all those performances seem unlikely to materialize for now.
Per Fox 13 Now, police revealed that, after being treated at the Holy Cross Hospital, Snider was discharged by staff, though the artist, apparently, believed he should not have been. Additionally, police also reportedly said that Snider yelled and cursed at the staff before being told to leave. While an employee told him not to return, he still came back and allegedly threatened a member of the staff, saying he would “kick your a**.”
A post shared by Todd Snider (@toddsniderlive)
In the wake of the same, Snider was reportedly booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, facing charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, and threatening violence. While he has since been released, formal charges have not been filed against him, as of yet.
But now that even the dates for his High, Lonesome and Then Some tour have been canceled following his reported arrest, it seems like a good time to walk down memory lane and look at Todd Snider’s controversies over the years. Without further ado, let’s dig right in.
Todd Snider Faced a Career Setback Due to Substance Abuse in the 1990s
One of the most tragic parts about Todd Snider’s life is that it has been marred by his on-again, off-again battles with substance abuse and drug addiction over the years. As shared in an interview with the New York Times, he first entered rehab in 1997, after “taking morphine for, like, 60 days in a row,” as he himself revealed during the interview.
Apparently, since the drug helped numb the pain that he felt in his body, the singer turned to it for refuge and ended up misusing it. As he said during the interview,
I’ve always had back trouble, and I thought: ‘This stuff is good for when I feel sick. I can’t feel my body. This is good for everything.’
At the time, he had just finished his third album, Viva Satelline (Margaritaville), which was his failed attempt at muscling up and crossing over to rock radio. That was “the first time I got hooked on hard drugs,” as Snider admitted.
But those erratic gigs and flaky reputation that resulted indeed did him more harm than good, as it potentially doomed whatever little chance the musician might have had at earning mainstream success. After all, 1998 was the same year when MCA released him from his contract following some troubles before his third album was released.
As reported by Lone Star Music Magazine, shortly before the album’s release in May of that year, trouble arose at a private performance in Los Angeles for MCA executives and their staff. Apparently, Snider, who was struggling with drugs at the time, insulted those in attendance early in the set before proceeding to leave the stage. Not long after, he was released from his contract with MCA.
Todd Snider Fell Into Addiction in 2003 As Well
While his career trajectory after being dropped by MCA was one thing, Todd Snider went on to land at a new label that seemed to fit him better: Oh Boy! Unfortunately for him, a few years later, the artist fell into addiction once again. This happened when he lost one of his close friends in 2003.
This time around, he got hooked on OxyContin, which is a form of oxycodone, a potent, semi-synthetic opioid analgesic that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. This was followed by his checking himself into a treatment facility for the second time.
In the year that followed, his 2004 album East Nashville Skyline (Oh, Boy) was released. In his interview with the New York Times, Snider said,
All my heroes – John, Kris, Jerry Jeff, Shel Silverstein, Billy Joe Shaver, Randy Newman – have that gallows humor.
Topped off by a timely culture-war singalong that pitted“conservative Christian, right-wing Republican, straight white American males” against “tree-hugging, peace-loving, pot-smoking, p-rn-watching” hippies “like me,” East Nashville Skyline earned him the best reviews of his life. And yet, just a few months later, he was back in rehab.
Apart from that, this one time, Todd Snider was arrested in Tillamook, Oregon, after a construction worker accused him of giving him the middle finger and driving recklessly. This arrest also became an inspiration for his song “Tillamook County Jail,” which appears on his album “East Nashville Skyline.”
Additionally, the local law enforcement officers who were aware of the story viewed the situation as more of a humorous anecdote than a serious crime, and Snider’s interactions with them were pleasant, as they found him to be a “charming, likable guest.” Not to mention, the singer himself said he harbored no hard feelings about the event (see Lone Star Music Magazine).
Todd Snider’s Greencastle Blues is About His 2008 Arrest
Just like any and every other self-professed folksinger, Todd Snider wrote a song about his controversies as well, and Greencastle Blues was yet another example of that. In 2008, the singer was arrested in Greencastle, Indiana, for possession of marijuana.
Here’s how the lyrics of his track go:
There was a time when I was handsome / there was a time when I had money to burn / there was a time when where I landed was the least of my, the least of my concerns / but it hurts to lean back in these handcuffs / like nine kinds of shame turned to rage / as a younger man, I might have put up a fight / but I feel like such a fool at my age.
Talking to the New York Times, he even shared his experience of that particular incident, which he ingeniously transformed into a humorous song about his mid-life crisis. Seated in an East Village bar during a trip to New York, he said amiably,
Last spring, I got arrested in Greencastle, Indiana, for pot. Most people don’t care if a singer smokes weed. But this one kid did. The sheriff ended up telling me he was the Barney Fife of the town. I was more embarrassed about getting caught than doing it. I’m getting in my 40s. This kind of stuff is getting old. I thought maybe it was behind me a little bit. And I think it is. [Shrugs] Probably.
For those who may not be familiar with the track, “Greencastle Blues” is essentially a tragicomic confessional song that anchors his album, “The Excitement Plan,” released in 2009. He also said about the record,
A lot of this record is about how poor people sometimes cope with pain and hardship. A little drugs here, a little s-x here, a little denial there.
And, well, The Excitement Plan, which served as his ninth studio record, certainly marked a relatively calm patch in his volatile career. Not to mention, it also helped Todd Snider secure his place alongside his peers as one of music’s great populists, if not the most popular singer-songwriters.
What Has Todd Snider Said About His Substance Abuse Struggles?
During his 2009 interview with the New York Times, Todd Snider also addressed how he wanted people to listen to his songs and what he wanted the effect of his music to be. Initially, he candidly said,
I’m certain I don’t have any answers, and I want the people who listen to my songs to know that. If someone learns something from me, that would be their fault.
Continuing, when asked if he considers himself an addict, Snider paused for a second before replying,
I don’t know if I go for the ‘always an addict’ thing. I still smoke weed. And I don’t feel guilty about it. But the hard drugs haven’t pulled me in a long time.
At the time, he also added how he “don’t go to any groups,” but “have a shrink. I talk about her on my new album,” he said, while referring to The Excitement Plan. Take the lyrics, “I went to see this therapist and she said/do the best you can do / I was hoping for something more specific.”
Either way, Todd Snider’s struggles with drug and substance abuse, legal troubles, and his controversies have been many over the years. As for his tour for High, Lonesome and Then Some, it can’t be said for now when exactly he will be returning to the stage. However, considering his reported run-in with the law yet again, it seems unlikely that it will happen soon.
What do you think about this? Do you have some thoughts or opinions of your own to share? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below.
