By request: Todd Snider Day in Nashville is April 20

Mayor Freddie O’Connell has officially proclaimed that today is Todd Snider day.

The unofficial Mayor of East Nashville, Todd Snider passed away in November. As a folk musician Snider was a storyteller, one to snub his nose at authority and have fun while doing it. Many of his songs have messages of having a good time and being appreciative of friends. Snider put an early stake in the ground in East Nashville and was a fixture of the community. Memorial flowers still adorn the doorway to his studio, named The Purple Building in Five Points.   

Todd Snider Day Proclamation

Today’s proclamation started with a phone call to the Mayor on WPLN’s This is Nashville (14:54 of this video):

Blake Farmer: Bill, you’re on with the mayor, go ahead.

Bill Conran: Hey, Mayor O’Connell, this is Bill from East Nashville. And I’m just curious if you solely have the authority to declare April 20th Todd Snider Day or if that’s something we’re gonna have to take to ballot?

Mayor O’Connell: No, man, what a great suggestion. I will take it back to our office and see if we can get a proclamation done up.  

Conran put in an official petition and the Mayor’s office got to work.  

In follow up with Bill Conran outside of Frothy Monkey in East Nashville, he said that Todd Snider would probably wouldn’t love the idea of an official proclamation in his name. “But at the same point, I think he would want us to gather in community and share stories and spread love,” Conran said. 

There will be a free Todd Snider Celebration tonight at Vinyl Tap in East Nashville. People will play Todd Snider records, sell old merch and, surely, tell some stories.