When Todd Daniel Snider died on November 14th at the age of 59, it left a huge, gaping void in the songwriting community that won’t soon be filled, if ever. A tribute has come together in Texas.
Though Todd Snider might be most synonymous with the East Nashville songwriting community that he helped found in large part, his musical journey started in Texas. That’s why some many of the state’s musical scribes were quite to lend their name to the tribute. Though Snider was born in Portland, Oregon and was raised in nearby Beaverton, Snider ended up in San Marcos, TX in the late ’80s. This is where Snider saw Jerry Jeff Walker perform at the legendary Gruene Hall in nearby New Braunfels. With little or no music experience, Todd Snider decided he’d been placed on this earth to be a songwriter. Todd bought a guitar, and started writing songs the very next day. He later met Kent Finlay, the legendary proprietor of the Cheatham Street Warehouse. It was Finlay who introduced Todd to songwriters like Guy Clark and John Prine. Soon Snider was drawing his own crowds in the San Marcos songwriting rooms, and started driving up to Austin to perform.Tickets are on sale now at luckpresents.com. The event will open at 2:00 pm.
Aaron Lee Tasjan, Amanda Shires, Ashleigh Flynn, Briscoe, Caleb Martin, Cody Canada, Dallas Burrow, Dalton Domino, Emma Ogier, Garrett Boys, Hayes Carll, Jack Ingram, Jason Boland, John Craigie, Kat Hasty, Kevn Kinney, Levi Snider, Luke Reunion, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, Pedal Steel Noah, Shelby Stone, Sterling Finlay, Todd Snider, Tommy Prine, Travis Roberts
Well, the only ones of those whose music I’m familiar with are Ingram, Hayes and Highwoman Amanda.
If they bring in Robert Earl Keen, Gary Allen, Mark Chesnutt and Rick Trevino, I’m in. [OK, I don’t think I could actually make it to Luck, Texas on March 20, but the chances of that happening are about 0.]
On Rick Trevino’s debut CD from 1994, he covered Marty Stuart’s “Honky Tonk Crowd,” Bill Anderson’s “Walk Out Backwards,” and did a song called the “She Just Left Me Lounge,” credited to Todd Snider as the sole writer. I believe it’s Snider’s first success in the country music business. It’s a totally straight, classic-style honkytonk song, with no left-field irony or clever wordplay. I can’t find any evidence that Snider ever performed it himself–on record or live. I wish he had.
Snider’s debut CD “Daily Planet” came out something like 10 months after Trevino’s disc and he was on his way.
Sorry if you don’t know Cody Canada and Jason Boland, but they’re literally originators of Red Dirt music. Olivial Ellen Lloyd was nominated for both Album of the Year and Song of the Year here last year. Tommy Prine won Song of the Year a few years back for “Ships in the Harbor.” This is more of an Americana/singer-songwriter lineup because that’s what Todd Snider was. But the lineup is pretty stacked.
I’m currently cruising around with a piece of cardboard taped in the hole where glass used to be in the backdoor of my van that reads “Todd Snider Rules” along with “Listen to John Prine daily.”
The roads i ride are in a region that statistically, is more, let’s say, a population of people who might not be very “accepting” of “long-hairs”/”hippie types.”
My mindset is that if, one person opens their ears to the words of Mr. Snider or, Mr. Prine, i’m doin’ my job.
Peace & flowers people.
Pass joints.
Not judgements.
Source: savingcountrymusic.com