Prologue of Too Many Miles
Bobbo Byrnes
I've started recording the audiobook, this is the first bit.
Too Many Miles:
On the Road with an Unofficial Rock and Roll Goodwill Ambassador
I've gotten a couple of really nice reviews for Too Many Miles
Vocal.Media excerpt:
"The absence of ego gives the book its credibility. You trust him because he is simply trying to understand how this life has shaped him. In a genre crowded with celebrity mythmaking and recycled anecdotes, Too Many Miles does seem rare."
Ethno Cloud excerpt:
“What distinguishes Too Many Miles from more traditional music memoirs is its focus on these moments of interaction. Whether performing for refugee children in Germany or navigating pointed questions from international audiences, Byrnes approaches each situation with humility and openness.”
Indie Music Discovery excerpt:
“If there’s a larger takeaway here, it’s that careers like Byrnes’ don’t fit neatly into industry narratives. There’s no single breakthrough moment. Instead, there is persistence – years of it – as well as a willingness to keep showing up, night after night, town after town.”
The Divine Magazine excerpt:
“At its heart, Too Many Miles is about curiosity, empathy and the courage to keep moving forwards – all qualities that resonate far beyond the music world.”
Indie Artist Buzz excerpt:
“It’s a part travelogue, part confession and part love letter to the road, revealing how music can transcend language, politics and borders, often in the most intimate of settings.”
Modern Mystery Blog exceprt:
“If there is an overarching takeaway, it is that careers like this rarely follow a straight line. There is not a single defining moment or arrival point but just the work itself: the writing, the traveling, the performing and the decision to keep on going. If the realities of independent touring, the intersection of culture and songwriting and the quieter stories that exist beyond the mainstream music industry are of interest, then Too Many Miles is well worth the journey.”
Buzzslayers exerpt:
"One of the coolest things about this record is that it also comes with an accompanying book. A lot of it has to do with his travels as a musician, and it's something that I find very unique. You don't always see this aspect of creativity from a musician, but I think that for Bobbo, it may have been a driving force behind the entire record release.
Cool Happy Genius Heroes exerpt:
"What ultimately emerges from Too Many Miles is a reframing of success. Byrnes does not position his career in terms of mainstream recognition or commercial milestones. Instead, he measures it through moments of connection, through the shared experiences that occur in transient spaces yet leave lasting impressions. The memoir challenges prevailing assumptions about what it means to “make it” in music suggesting that longevity, authenticity and the ability to continue creating may be the more meaningful markers."
Click the book to buy!
SYNOPSIS:
In Too Many Miles: On the Road with an Unofficial Rock & Roll Goodwill Ambassador, singer-songwriter Bobbo Byrnes takes readers on a globe-spanning journey through the highs and heartbreaks of life as a modern troubadour. With wit and honesty, he captures the pulse of endless touring — the motel mornings, border crossings, small-town bars, festivals and fleeting moments of connection that define a life lived in motion. But Byrnes’ travels aren’t only musical; they’re also political. As an American abroad, he finds himself navigating questions of identity, nationalism, and empathy in a divided world. Through music and conversation, he discovers that songs can build bridges where politics cannot. Part memoir, part travelogue, and wholly human, Too Many Miles is a meditation on art, hope, and the power of carrying a guitar — and an open heart — across borders.
Prologue:
The process of creating this book was more like sculpting than writing. I have been keeping tour journals for over twenty years, with musings scattered in notebooks, emails, Facebook posts, and old hard drives. When I finally assembled all the journals together in one Word document, it was over 3200 pages long. I chipped away to find the story hiding in this mountain of text, ultimately carving off days, weeks, and whole years.
This book moves in a chronological, natural progression but there are flashbacks thrown in for background and other chapters about specific songs. Chapters are dated for clarity. I have also included a link at the end of the book to a stream-able mixtape on multiple platforms that goes along with the book.
My wife Tracy was the first to suggest that I might have a book hiding in all my words and was beyond encouraging. I wasn’t sure of the story I would find but I knew that I wanted it to be an authentic account of the highs and lows of a lifelong traveling musician.
My first journals were from when I was in a band, which is a safer and insular experience – you’re like a gang and keep mostly to yourselves. When I started touring solo, that was when everything changed. The journals changed, too – in the beginning, I was just trying to remember where I’d been. But as I spent more time alone, the journals acted like postcards written home to Tracy, all while trying to make sense of where I’d been and what I’d just experienced.
The more I edited, the more it became clear that this wasn’t just my story of a troubadour’s life. It was also the story of this time in the world from the perspective of an American musician traveling across the U.S.A. and Europe. Throughout my travels I was, and am still, learning how to be the best version of not only myself but also a representative of my country.
My youthful Kerouac-ian dreams came true to an extent. I’ve now performed in most of the U.S. states as well as 15 countries. I don’t know if Jack Kerouac knew the story he was going to tell when he started typing. I certainly did not. Like my songwriting, the story was the map, showing me where to go. As with so many vagabonds before me, I set out on the road to find answers even though I didn’t know the questions.
I am sure that every musician who has ever hopped in a van to travel to some gig outside of their hometown has a story in them – I just started writing them down. Beyond any other hopes for the outcome of this book, I hope you’re inspired to start writing your story.
From my first gig at a backyard party in Westford, Massachusetts in 1991 to yesterday’s concert in 2025 in Bremen, Germany, I've easily played more than 5,000 shows.
And I’m still trying to get it right.
Author Bio:
Bobbo Byrnes is a traveling singer-songwriter known for his heartfelt storytelling, energetic live performances, and relentless devotion to the craft of making music on the move. A veteran of countless shows, long highways, and cross-country tours, he has built a career one stage — and one connection — at a time. In Too Many Miles: On the Road with an Unofficial Rock and Roll Goodwill Ambassador, Byrnes reflects on the people, places, and experiences that shaped his life as a wandering musician. His writing, like his music, blends humor, honesty, and a deep love for the community that forms around songs shared in real time. When he’s not on the road, he’s at home snuggling with his cats and drinking tea with his wife Tracy.