Body cam footage released following the death of musician Todd Snider shows the singer pleading with police officers to be allowed back into a hospital just days before he died. The 59-year-old, who had cancelled tour dates after a violent assault outside his hotel, can be heard telling officers: 'I have a band, I'm famous – the band ditched me.'
The footage, recorded on 2 November, captures Snider handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car outside Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. He had reportedly gone to the hospital after the alleged attack but refused to leave when discharged. Officers asked why he returned after being told not to, to which he said he did not remember and that he was in pain.
Snider's death was announced on his Instagram page, with a statement from his family describing him as 'a force of nature' who could find humour in life. He had been suffering from an undiagnosed case of walking pneumonia, which later became more complicated. His tour, the High, Lonesome and Then Some tour, was cancelled after he sustained serious injuries in what was described as a 'violent assault'.
The Portland-born musician, who recorded 14 studio albums and was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2021, had a career spanning folk, rock, blues and alt-country. His songs included 'Alright Guy' and 'Talking Reality Television Blues', the latter covered by Tom Jones.
Fans expressed their grief online, with one describing the news as 'absolutely heartbreaking'. The statement from his family concluded: 'Put on one of your favourite Todd Snider records and play it loud enough to wake up all of your neighbours. We love you Todd, sail on old friend.'
