Bassist For Rock Band Toadies Signs Book Deal With Blue Handle Publishing

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Co-founder of cult rock legend Hagfish and current Toadies bassist Donivan Blair has signed a deal with Blue Handle Publishing to release his debut novel.

Blair, who started Hagfish with brother / Rise Against lead guitarist Zach, is writing a gritty, fictionalized account of the brothers sacrificing everything - including food, showers, and permanent housing - to pursue rock music as a way out of their small Texas town.
"This is such an exciting project," Blue Handle President Charles D'Amico said. "We can't wait to help Doni show readers what it's really like for aspiring artists, and to inspire others to pursue their dreams no matter the cost."

The roman a clef is tentatively scheduled for release in fall of 2023.

The Blair brothers grew up in the North Texas town of Sherman and traveled to Dallas to play shows in the early 1990s, resulting in the group Hagfish. The band survived breakups and several labels on their way to recording three studio albums and two EPs from 1993 to 1998. During that time, Blair and Hagfish toured internationally with some of the world's most popular rock groups, including Everclear and The Offspring.

After Hagfish broke up, Blair played in other bands, including Only Crime, before joining the Toadies in 2008. Over the past 25 years he has recorded 17 albums and continued to tour the world playing bass as a straight edge rock star.

In addition to his impressive music credentials, Blair is an award-winning memoirist. His nonfiction book "Even if it Kills Me: Martial Arts, Rock and Roll, and Mortality" (YMAA Publications) won the silver medal in the 2017 Independent Book Publisher's Association Benjamin Franklin Awards for best memoir or autobiography. When he's not touring, Blair lives in Amarillo, Texas.