In 1986, he wrote a piece about Canadian musician Stompin' Tom Connors for Nerve magazine, which ended up encouraging the exiled musician to come out of retirement (the story also appeared in Bidini's first book, "On a Cold Road"). Bidini was a columnist for the "Toronto Star" between 1991–1993; his stories were written on a portable typewriter from the road and submitted via gas station faxes, and his 1996 tour diary for the same paper became the essence of his first book.