Book Talk and Performance: Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America with Erin Osmon and Stephen Wilson Jr.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum writer-editor Erin Osmon will discuss her new book, "Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America," during a book talk. Osmon will discuss the story of heartland rock, and acclaimed singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr., who grew up in John Mellencamp's hometown, Seymour, Indiana, will perform. The museum's writer-editor Allison Moorer will lead the discussion.

Heartland rock — the soundtrack of grocery stores, pool halls, bowling alleys, flea markets, drug stores and political rallies — which ruled radio airwaves in the 1980s, is inescapable even today. Osmon’s new book, "Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America," tells the story of the origins, chart-topping development, and tangled legacy of this music, which remains instantly recognizable to millions. Her account of heartland rock’s glory days delves into the making of its classic albums and songs, such as Bob Seger’s Against the Wind, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever and Bruce Springsteen’s numerous hits, as well as the centrality of often-overlooked women such as Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Raitt. Osmon also traces the genre’s connections to country and Americana music and explores the social, political and cultural developments that fostered the genre.