but the songs live on forever

Folk

Americana Folk Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (November 14, 2025) Todd Snider / Celebrated Singer-Songwriter

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Todd Snider
October 11, 1966 – November 14, 2025

Photo Credit: Unknown via Wikimedia

Todd Snider, the wry and free-spirited singer-songwriter whose blend of sharp humor, plainspoken poetry, and lived-in storytelling earned him a devoted following across three decades, has died. He was 58.

Snider emerged in the early 1990s with a style that felt both familiar and completely his own. Born in Portland and raised between Oregon and Texas, he forged a path defined by curiosity, compassion, and a talent for capturing the offbeat corners of American life. His breakthrough came with his 1994 debut, Songs for the Daily Planet, which featured “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” a track that introduced him as a songwriter who could tackle cultural absurdity with a sly grin and a sharp pen.

Across more than a dozen albums, Snider established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in Americana. His songs balanced humor with heartbreak, and his writing honored the dreamers, drifters, and strugglers who populated his world. Influenced by mentors like Jerry Jeff Walker and John Prine, he continued their tradition of plainspoken truth-telling while carving out his own unmistakable lane.
Snider’s concerts became essential to his legacy. Alone onstage with a well-worn guitar, he created an intimate environment built on stories, digressions, and observations that often felt as revealing as the songs themselves.

Outside of his own catalog, Snider was a champion of fellow musicians and a connector in the folk and Americana world. He lent support to countless up-and-coming songwriters, collaborated widely, and recorded tributes that reflected his deep respect for the craft. His 2013 album Time As We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker remains one of the most heartfelt tributes in modern Americana.

Snider is survived by a body of work that documents a full, searching life. His songs captured grief, joy, mischief, and resilience with a clarity that made listeners feel seen. Whether writing about everyday characters or his own struggles, he brought empathy to every line.

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Died On This Date (November 1, 2025) Archie Fisher / Scottish Folk Singer and BBC Presenter

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Archie Fishter
October 23, 1939 – November 1, 2025

Photo Credit: Cindy Funk via Wikemedia

Archie Fisher, one of Scotland’s most revered voices in folk music, has died at 86. Born in Glasgow on October 23, 1939, Fisher grew up in a family steeped in song. His mother was a Gaelic speaker from the Outer Hebrides, and his father’s love of opera and traditional ballads filled the house. It was an upbringing that shaped the poet and storyteller he became, grounding his music in the land and language of his people.

Fisher first came to prominence in the late 1950s, when the folk revival began to take root. By the time he released his self-titled debut in 1968, his warm baritone and intricate guitar work had already set him apart. Over the decades that followed, he became a touchstone for authenticity, weaving ancient themes with contemporary insight. Albums like Will Ye Gang, Love? and The Man With A Rhyme revealed a songwriter who balanced grace and grit, never overstating the emotion but always letting it resonate.

His songwriting left a mark that extended far beyond Scotland. “Witch of the West-Mer-Lands,” perhaps his best-known composition, was covered by numerous artists and remains a fixture in the folk canon. As a collaborator, Fisher lent his voice, guitar, and arranging skills to Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, among others, helping shape the sound of modern Celtic folk with quiet precision.

For nearly three decades, Fisher hosted the beloved BBC Radio Scotland program Travelling Folk, offering a platform for both emerging and established musicians. His interviews were unhurried and informed, reflecting his lifelong belief that the heart of folk music lies in its people and their stories.

In 2006, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to traditional Scottish music. It was an honor he accepted with the same humility that marked his career.

Fisher continued recording and performing well into his later years. His 2015 album A Silent Song was both reflective and alive, a collection that reminded listeners that his artistry never faded. He lived quietly in the south of Scotland, still writing, still listening, and still tending to the music that had defined his life.

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Died On This Date (May 18, 2024) Spider John Koerner / Influential Folk Singer

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John Koerner
August 31, 1938 – May 18, 2024

Photo credit: Dktrfz via wikimedia

As reported by Chris Riemenschneider in the Minneapolis Start Tribune, Spider John Koerner, a revered American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, passed away at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer. Known primarily for his work with the influential blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, alongside Dave Ray and Tony Glover, Koerner also enjoyed a prolific solo career and collaborated with Willie Murphy.

Koerner’s impact on music was profound with no less than Bob Dylan citing him as an early influence in his autobiography, Chronicles. Koerner was known for his distinctive style, playing a big-body 12-string acoustic guitar and performing a repertoire that spanned traditional folk and blues songs, as well as his own originals.

Originally from Rochester, New York, Koerner became a cornerstone of Minneapolis’ West Bank folk and blues scene in the early 1960s. He mentored a young Bob Dylan and recorded albums that left a lasting impression on artists like John Lennon, David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt, and Beck.

Koerner’s life in Minnesota began in 1956 when he moved to study aeronautical engineering. Despite his fascination with engineering, his path veered towards music after a stint in the Marine Corps. The formation of Koerner, Ray & Glover in 1963 marked the beginning of his musical career, with their debut album Blues, Rags & Hollers released on Elektra Records, followed by Lots More Blues, Rags & Hollers in1964. Although their records didn’t achieve commercial success, they were treasured by musicians of the time. Lennon praised their first album in a 1964 Melody Maker profile, and Bowie later lauded it in a 2016 Vanity Fair story. The trio also gained recognition through their performances at the Newport Folk Festival, sharing the stage with blues legends like Muddy Waters and Son House.

After the trio disbanded in the late ’60s, Koerner continued to make his mark with the 1969 album Running, Jumping, Standing Still, a collaboration with Willie Murphy. The album featured the track “I Ain’t Blue,” which Bonnie Raitt covered on her debut album.

Koerner’s legacy was celebrated in 2012 when he returned to the Newport Folk Festival after a 43-year hiatus, receiving a warm welcome from younger fans and musicians like Conor Oberst and Trampled by Turtles.

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Died On This Date (April 21, 2024) Alex Hassilev / The Limeliters

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Alex Hassilev
July 11, 1932 – April 21, 2024

Photo credit: Jack de Nijs via wikimedia

As reported by Clay Risen at The New York Times, the last original member of the Limeliters, Alex Hassilev, passed away on April 21 at the age of 91.

During the early ’60s, American audiences couldn’t get enough of the harmonies and traditional sounds of folk music. Among the most beloved acts of that era were the Limeliters – a trio comprised of Alex Hassilev, Glenn Yarbrough, and Lou Gottlieb. Hassilev, a skilled musician fluent in multiple languages, played banjo, guitar, and sang baritone for the group.

The Limeliters’ performances were marked by a unique blend of seriousness and humor, mixing traditional folk tunes like “The Hammer Song” with playful compositions such as “Have Some Madeira, M’Dear,” “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud,” and “Charlie the Midnight Marauder.” Before the Beatles came ashore, the trio were a powerhouse, playing an astonishing 300 shows a year and releasing multiple Billboard Top 10 albums, including Tonight in Person (1960) and The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters (1961).

Born in Paris to Russian Jewish immigrants Leonide and Tamara Hassilev, Alex Hassilev showed early promise as a student, attending Harvard after his military service. Disillusioned by what he perceived as elitism, he transferred to the University of Chicago and eventually found his way into acting and music, gravitating towards New York’s burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village.

The fateful meeting with Glenn Yarbrough at a party led to the formation of the Limeliters, who quickly gained popularity along the West Coast. Their official debut occurred after establishing a loyal following in San Francisco, leading to a recording contract with Elektra Records.

Despite their on-stage success, the Limeliters were famously known for their off-stage conflicts, earning them the nickname the Bicker Brothers. After Yarbrough’s departure following a plane crash in 1962, the group disbanded in 1965, with Hassilev pursuing solo projects in acting and record producing. His musical career continued with sporadic Limeliters reunions, solidifying in 1981 with a new lineup. Following the deaths of Lou Gottlieb in 1996 and Glenn Yarbrough in 2016, Alex eventually retired from the Limeliters in 2006.

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Died On This Date (April 19, 2024) Bev Paul / Beloved Americana Music Titan

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Bev Paul
September 15, 1947 – April 19, 2024

As reported by Chris Willman in Variety, Bev Paul, the much respected general manager of roots label, Sugar Hill Records passed away on April 19, 2024 after battling lung cancer. She was 76 years old.

Paul’s leadership at Sugar Hill spanned decades, leaving an indelible mark on the Americana music movement. Through the 1990s and again in the 2000s, she guided the label to unprecedented success, garnering over a dozen Grammy Awards in bluegrass, country, and folk categories. Under her watch, artists like Nickel Creek, Dolly Parton, Scott Miller, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, and Tim O’Brien thrived, contributing to the label’s stellar reputation.

Commented Sugar Hill’s former owner Barry Poss who hired Paul in 1991, “When Bev Paul interviewed for the marketing director position at Sugar Hill Records, I said ‘hello,’ and she promptly proceeded to lay out in explicit detail why I needed to hire her,” Poss recalls. “I didn’t ask a single question and, as with many things about Bev, it was a no-fuss, no-muss display and right on target. She learned the business, worked her way up to general manager, and we all flourished together, in no small measure due to the reasons she laid out in the original interview.”

Beyond her role at Sugar Hill, Paul was a driving force throughout the music community. She served on the board of the International Bluegrass Association and played a pivotal role in establishing the Americana Music Association. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honored her in 2020 at the prestigious Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum.

Paul’s journey began in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but her heart found its home in the South during a formative trip to Durham, North Carolina, with her father. She atteded Duke University, immersing herself in the local music scene. From a campus coffeehouse to the Gaslight Cafe in Fayetteville, Paul’s love for music blossomed. Her career flourished at WQDR radio station and the influential music retailer, Record Bar, where she nurtured rising stars like the Judds and Alan Jackson.

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