Editing Todd Snider (section)

==Early career==
Snider was born in [[Portland, Oregon]] and grew up in nearby [[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]], where he lived until he graduated from [[Beaverton High School]] in 1985. After high school, he moved to [[Santa Rosa, California]] to attend [[Santa Rosa Junior College]]. He only lasted one semester, but while there, he learned to play the harmonica.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Shapiro | first = Michael | title = Todd Snider recalls his Santa Rosa days | newspaper = [[The Press Democrat]] | date = September 21, 2014 | url = https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/entertainment/todd-snider-recalls-his-santa-rosa-days/ |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref>

With help from his brother Mike who bought him a plane ticket, Snider moved to [[San Marcos, Texas]] northeast of [[San Antonio]], after leaving SRJC in the late fall of 1985.<ref>{{cite book|last=Snider |first=Todd |title=I Never Met A Story I Didn't Like: Mostly True Tall Tales |publisher=Da Capo Press |year=2014 |pages = 78–79 |isbn=978-0306822605}}</ref> Not long after arriving in San Marcos, Snider saw [[Jerry Jeff Walker]] perform solo at [[Gruene Hall]], a legendary dance hall in [[New Braunfels, Texas]] southwest of [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].<ref>{{cite journal |last =Skanse |first =Richard |date=July 1, 2004 |title= Q&A: Todd Snider |url= https://lonestarmusicmagazine.com/qa-todd-snider/ |journal= Lone Star Music Magazine |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> When he saw Walker that night, he decided he wanted to become a songwriter and began writing songs the next day.<ref>{{cite news |last= Langer |first= Andy |date= April 14, 2012 |title= It All Started One Night in the '80s at Gruene Hall |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/us/todd-snider-records-a-tribute-to-jerry-jeff-walker.html |newspaper= The New York Times |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> He told ''Lone Star Music Magazine'' in 2004, "I didn't even know how to really play guitar yet, but I saw his show and went and got one."<ref>{{cite journal |last =Skanse |first =Richard |date=July 1, 2004 |title= Q&A: Todd Snider |url= https://lonestarmusicmagazine.com/qa-todd-snider/ |journal= Lone Star Music Magazine |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref>

Snider met [[Kent Finlay]] at his very first writer's night, which was at Finlay's San Marcos club, [[Cheatham Street Warehouse]]. Finlay, who was a songwriter in his own right, became an important mentor and introduced Snider to the songs of [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Guy Clark]], [[John Prine]], and [[Shel Silverstein]] among others.<ref>{{cite journal |last =Skanse |first =Richard |date=July 1, 2004 |title= Q&A: Todd Snider |url= https://lonestarmusicmagazine.com/qa-todd-snider/ |journal= Lone Star Music Magazine |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> Snider was soon packing small rooms in San Marcos and over the next few years began to draw enthusiastic crowds in Austin, as well.<ref>{{cite news |last= Langer |first= Andy|date= August 30, 1996 |title= The Real Y'Alternative: Todd Snider, Too Rock for Country, Too Country for Rock |url= https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-08-30/532474/ |newspaper= The Austin Chronicle |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref>

Snider also discovered [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] songwriter [[Keith Sykes (musician)|Keith Sykes]] while living in San Marcos when a friend at the local record store turned him on to a pair of albums Sykes made in the early ’70s.<ref>{{cite news |last= Boehm |first= Mike |date= July 29, 1995 |title= Country's Todd Snider: The Man of Still : Pop: The genre has changed over the years, but the artist remains true to traditional styles, as his 'Songs for the Daily Planet' shows |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-29-ca-29116-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> In 1989, Snider's father moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] and happened to meet Sykes’ sister-in-law. Through that connection, Snider sent Sykes a demo tape of some of his songs. Sykes thought one of the songs had potential, so Snider moved to Memphis to try to work with Sykes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Snider |first=Todd |title=I Never Met A Story I Didn't Like: Mostly True Tall Tales |publisher=Da Capo Press |year=2014 |pages = 86–87 |isbn=978-0306822605}}</ref> Not long after he arrived in Memphis, Snider landed a weekly residency at a local club The Daily Planet. He not only was soon packing the room, the audience knew the words to the songs and would sing along.<ref>{{cite book |last= White |first= Ryan |title= Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way |publisher= Atria Books |year=2014 |page= 267 |isbn= 9781501132568}}</ref> Through Sykes, Snider met Prine in 1991 while assisting on pre-production work Prine was doing with Sykes in Memphis for his album ''[[The Missing Years (album)|The Missing Years]]''. It was the beginning of a friendship Snider and Prine had until Prine's death in 2020.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Bernstein |first= Jonathan |date= April 8, 2020 |title= Todd Snider on John Prine: 'I Couldn't Believe I Knew Him'|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/todd-snider-remembers-john-prine-980532/ |magazine= Rolling Stone |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> In 1992, Sykes helped Snider land a development deal with [[Capitol Records]]. He recorded a number of sides in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] for the label,<ref>{{cite news |last= Langer |first= Andy|date= August 30, 1996 |title= The Real Y'Alternative: Todd Snider, Too Rock for Country, Too Country for Rock |url= https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-08-30/532474/ |newspaper= The Austin Chronicle |access-date= August 29, 2021}}</ref> but they declined to pick up his option for a full album.<ref>{{cite book |last= Leaver |first= Jack |date= 1997 |title= All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Country Recordings |chapter= ToddSnider |publisher= Backbeat |page= 432 |isbn= 9780879304751}}</ref>

Around the time of the Capitol deal, Snider began performing with a small band backing him which he dubbed the Bootleggers.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Clark |first= Rick |date= May 15, 1993 |title= Crossroads Less Traveled By Major Reps: But Memphis Meet Attracts Regional Acts, Reps |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1993/1993-05-15-Billboard-Page-0016.pdf#search=%22todd%20snider%22 |magazine= Billboard |page= 16 |access-date= July 26, 2021}}</ref> The band's lineup fluctuated some over the first year or so, but by the end of 1994, the lineup was set with [[Will Kimbrough]] on guitar, Joe Mariencheck on bass, and Joe McLeary on drums. Snider also had changed the band's name to the Nervous Wrecks.

Sykes was a one-time member of [[Jimmy Buffett]]’s [[Coral Reefer Band]] and Buffett had recorded a few of his songs, so when the Capitol deal fell through, he reached out on Snider's behalf to Buffett's label, Margaritaville Records, which was distributed by [[MCA Records|MCA]]. Not long after label exec Bob Mercer saw Snider perform at an industry showcase in Memphis in April 1993, Snider flew to [[California]] to open a show for Buffett. After seeing his set, Buffett offered Snider a deal with Margaritaville.<ref>{{cite book |last= White |first= Ryan |title= Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way |publisher= Atria Books |year=2014 |page= 268 |isbn= 9781501132568}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last= Clark |first= Rick |date= May 15, 1993 |title= Crossroads Less Traveled By Major Reps: But Memphis Meet Attracts Regional Acts, Reps |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1993/1993-05-15-Billboard-Page-0016.pdf#search=%22todd%20snider%22 |magazine= Billboard |page= 16 |access-date= July 26, 2021}}</ref>