Bomar chronicles the beginnings and the many influential leaders of the southern rock genre in his newly-released novel “Southbound: An Illustrated History of Southern Rock.”
Bomar, who’s currently on a tour of the South, will be hosting a book signing and Q & A Monday at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Tuscaloosa.
“What I am basically trying to do is create one book that encapsulates what falls under that Southern rock umbrella,” Bomar said. “I get into the background of where those bands came from and some of the lesser-known musicians that were a part of the southern rock world.”
In his novel, Bomar addresses some of the stereotypes people have concerning both southern rock and the South. Bomar said southern rock hasn’t received the respect it deserves due to many false stereotypes regarding the genre. Bomar said the South often gets flak for being backward or racist, but the true story is more nuanced than that. Many bands of the time drew heavily and were inspired by black culture and genres like the blues.
Chad Mayton, a store director at Barnes & Noble, is one of the employees preparing for the signing. Mayton said he plans on getting his father, a fan of the genre, a signed copy of the novel. Mayton said book signings draw publicity for local or regional authors.