Tom Petty Explained

Tom Petty
Birth Name:Thomas Earl Petty
Birth Date:1950 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Death Place:Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Alias:
  • Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.
  • Muddy Wilbury
Years Active:1967–2017
Discography:Tom Petty discography
Module:
Embed:yes
Signature:Tom Petty signature.svg

Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He was also a successful solo artist.

Over the course of his career, Petty sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. His hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "American Girl" (1976), "Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), "Refugee" (1980), "The Waiting" (1981), "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and "Learning to Fly" (1991). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (1989), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994).

Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.[1] He also acted; he had a recurring role as the voice of Lucky Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy series King of the Hill from 2004 to the show's end in 2009.

Petty died of an accidental drug overdose in 2017 at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour.[2] [3]

Early life and education

Petty was born on October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, the first of two sons of Kitty Petty (née Avery), a local tax office worker, and Earl Petty, a traveling salesman.[4] [5] [6] His brother Bruce was seven years younger.[4]

Petty grew up in the Northeast Gainesville Residential District, known locally as the Duckpond. After his death, a historical marker was placed in the neighborhood and a nearby park was renamed to Tom Petty Park.[7]

Petty attended Howard Bishop Middle School, where he played Little League baseball and basketball. He then attended Gainesville High School, where he graduated in 1968.[8]

Career

Petty's interest in rock and roll music began at age ten when he had an opportunity to meet Elvis Presley.[9] In the summer of 1961, his uncle was working on the set of Presley's film Follow That Dream, in nearby Ocala, and invited Petty to watch the movie's filming.[10]

Petty instantly became a Presley fan. When he returned that Saturday, he was greeted by his friend Keith Harben, and soon traded his Wham-O slingshot for a collection of Elvis 45s.[11] Of that meeting with Presley, Petty said, "Elvis glowed."[12]

In 2006, Petty said he knew he wanted to be in a band the moment he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.[13] "The minute I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show—and it's true of thousands of guys—there was the way out. There was a way to do it. You get your friends and you're a self-contained unit. And you make the music. And it looked like so much fun. It was something I identified with. I had never been hugely into sports. ... I had been a big fan of Elvis. But I really saw in the Beatles that here's something I could do. I knew I could do it. It wasn't long before there were groups springing up in garages all over the place."[14] He later said that the Rolling Stones inspired him by demonstrating that he and musicians like him could make it in rock and roll.[15]

Don Felder, a fellow Gainesville resident who later joined the Eagles, wrote in his autobiography that he was one of Petty's first guitar teachers[16] [17] although Petty said that Felder taught him to play piano instead.[18]

As a young man, Petty worked briefly on the grounds crew of the University of Florida, but never attended as a student. An Ogeechee lime tree that he purportedly planted while employed at the university is now called the Tom Petty tree, though Petty said he did not recall planting any trees.[19] [20] He also worked briefly as a gravedigger.[18]

1976–1987: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

See main article: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Shortly after embracing his musical aspirations, Petty started a band known as the Epics, which later evolved into Mudcrutch. The band included future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench and was popular in Gainesville, but their recordings went unnoticed by a mainstream audience. They recorded at The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their only single, "Depot Street", released in 1975 by Shelter Records, failed to chart.[21]

After Mudcrutch split up, Petty reluctantly agreed to pursue a solo career. Tench decided to form his own group, whose sound Petty appreciated. Eventually, Petty and Campbell collaborated with Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch, forming the first lineup of the Heartbreakers. Their eponymous debut album gained little popularity amongst American audiences, achieving greater success in Britain. The singles "American Girl" and "Breakdown" (re-released in 1977) peaked at after the band toured in the United Kingdom in support of Nils Lofgren. The debut album was released by Shelter Records, which at that time was distributed by ABC Records.[22]

Their second album, You're Gonna Get It!, was the band's first Top 40 album, featuring the singles "I Need to Know" and "Listen to Her Heart". Their third album, Damn the Torpedoes, quickly went platinum, selling nearly two million copies; it includes their breakthrough singles "Don't Do Me Like That", "Here Comes My Girl", "Even the Losers" and "Refugee".[23]

In September 1979, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed at a Musicians United for Safe Energy concert at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.[24] Their rendition of "Cry to Me" was featured on the resulting album, No Nukes.[25]

Their fourth album, Hard Promises, released in 1981, became a top-ten hit, going platinum and spawning the hit single "The Waiting". The album also featured Petty's first duet, "Insider" with Stevie Nicks.[26]

Bass player Ron Blair quit the group and was replaced on the fifth album, Long After Dark (1982), by Howie Epstein; the resulting lineup lasted until 1994. The album contained the hit "You Got Lucky".

In 1985, the band participated in Live Aid, playing four songs at John F. Kennedy Stadium, in Philadelphia before a crowd of 89,484 people.

The band's album, Southern Accents, was also released in 1985. It included the hit single "Don't Come Around Here No More", produced by Dave Stewart. The song's video featured Petty dressed as the Mad Hatter, mocking and chasing Alice from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, then cutting and eating her as if she were a cake. The ensuing tour led to the live album and an invitation from Bob Dylan to join Dylan on his 60-date True Confessions Tour through Asia, Oceania, and North America.

In 1986 and 1987, they played some dates with the Grateful Dead. Also in 1987, the group released Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) which includes "Jammin' Me" which Petty wrote with Dylan.[27]

1988–1991: Traveling Wilburys and solo career

See main article: Traveling Wilburys and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In 1988, Petty, along with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne, was a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys. The band's first song, "Handle with Care", was intended as a B-side of one of Harrison's singles, but was judged too good for that purpose and the group decided to record a full album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. A second Wilburys album, mischievously titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 and recorded without the recently deceased Orbison, followed in 1990. The album was named Vol. 3 as a response to a series of bootlegged studio sessions being sold as Travelling Wilburys Vol. 2. Petty incorporated Traveling Wilburys songs into his live shows, consistently playing "Handle with Care" in shows from 2003 to 2006, and for his 2008 tour adding "surprises" such as "End of the Line" to the set list.[28]

In 1989, Petty released Full Moon Fever, which featured hits "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin'" and "Runnin' Down a Dream". It was nominally his first solo album, although several Heartbreakers and other well-known musicians participated: Mike Campbell co-produced the album with Petty and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra, and backing musicians included Campbell, Lynne, and fellow Wilburys Roy Orbison and George Harrison (Ringo Starr appears on drums in the video for "I Won't Back Down", but they were actually performed by Phil Jones).[29]

Petty and the Heartbreakers reformed in 1991 and released Into the Great Wide Open, which was co-produced by Lynne and included the hit singles "Learning To Fly" and "Into the Great Wide Open", the latter featuring Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway in the music video.[30]

Before leaving MCA Records, Petty and the Heartbreakers got together to record, live in the studio, two new songs for a Greatest Hits package: "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air". This was Stan Lynch's last recorded performance with the Heartbreakers. Petty commented "He left right after the session without really saying goodbye." The package went on to sell over ten million copies, therefore receiving diamond certification by the RIAA.[31]

1991–2017: Move to Warner Bros. Records

In 1989, while still under contract to MCA, Petty secretly signed a lucrative deal with Warner Bros. Records, to which the Traveling Wilburys had been signed.[32] His first album on his new label, 1994's Wildflowers, Petty's second of three solo albums, included the highly beloved title track,[33] as well as the singles "You Don't Know How It Feels", "You Wreck Me", "It's Good to Be King", and "A Higher Place". The album, produced by Rick Rubin, sold over three million copies in the United States.

In 1996, Petty, with the Heartbreakers, released a soundtrack to the movie She's the One, starring Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston (see Songs and Music from "She's the One"). The album's singles were "Walls (Circus)" featuring Lindsey Buckingham, "Climb that Hill", and a song written by Lucinda Williams, "Change the Locks". The album also included a cover of "Asshole", a song by Beck. The same year, the band accompanied Johnny Cash on Unchained, provisionally titled "Petty Cash", for which Cash won a Grammy for Best Country Album. Cash later covered Petty's "I Won't Back Down" on .[34]

In 1999, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their last album with Rubin at the helm, Echo. Two songs were released as singles in the US, "Room at the Top" and "Free Girl Now". The album reached number 10 on the US album charts.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played "I Won't Back Down" at the benefit concert for victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The following year, they played "Taxman", "I Need You" and "Handle with Care" (joined for the last by Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, and Jim Keltner) at the Concert for George in honor of Petty's friend and former bandmate George Harrison.[35]

Petty's 2002 release, The Last DJ, was an album-length critique of practices within the music industry.[36] The title track, inspired by Los Angeles radio personality Jim Ladd, bemoaned the end of the freedom that radio DJs once had to personally select songs for their station's playlists.[37] The album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States.[38]

In 2005, Petty began hosting his own show "Buried Treasure" on XM Satellite Radio, on which he shared selections from his personal record collection.[39]

In 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlined the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as part of their "30th Anniversary Tour". Special guests included Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, the Allman Brothers Band, Trey Anastasio, the Derek Trucks Band, and the Black Crowes. Nicks joined Petty and the Heartbreakers on stage for several songs including "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".[40] [41]

In July 2006, Petty released a solo album titled Highway Companion, which included the hit "Saving Grace". It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, which was Petty's highest chart position since the introduction of the Nielsen SoundScan system for tracking album sales in 1991. Highway Companion was briefly promoted on the tour with the Heartbreakers in 2006, with performances of "Saving Grace", "Square One", "Down South" and "Flirting with Time".[42]

During the summer of 2007, Petty reunited with his old bandmates Tom Leadon and Randall Marsh, along with Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, to reform his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch. The quintet recorded an album of 14 songs that was released on April 29, 2008 (on iTunes, an additional song "Special Place" was available if the album was pre-ordered). The band supported the album with a brief tour of California in the spring of 2008.[43]

In 2007, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers contributed a cover of "I'm Walkin'" to the album . The album's sales helped buy instruments for students in New Orleans public schools and contributed to the building of a community center in the city's Hurricane Katrina-damaged Ninth Ward.[44]

On February 3, 2008, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed during the halftime-show of Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium. They played "American Girl", "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin" and "Runnin' Down a Dream".[45] That summer, the band toured North America with Steve Winwood as the opening act. Winwood joined Petty and the Heartbreakers on stage at select shows and performed his Spencer Davis Group hit "Gimme Some Lovin'", and occasionally he performed his Blind Faith hit "Can't Find My Way Home". In November 2009 the boxed set The Live Anthology, a compilation of live recordings from 1978 to 2006, was released.

The band's twelfth album Mojo was released on June 15, 2010, and reached number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. Petty described the album as "Blues-based. Some of the tunes are longer, more jam-y kind of music. A couple of tracks really sound like the Allman Brothers—not the songs but the atmosphere of the band."[46] To promote the record, the band appeared as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live on May 17, 2010.[47] The release of Mojo was followed by a North American summer tour. Prior to the tour, five of the band's guitars, including two owned by Petty, were stolen from their practice space in Culver City, California in April 2010. The items were recovered by Los Angeles police the next week.[48]

In 2012, the band went on a world tour that included their first European dates in 20 years and their first ever concerts in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.[49] [50]

On July 28, 2014, Reprise Records released Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' thirteenth studio album, Hypnotic Eye. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's first album to top the chart.[51] On November 20, 2015, the Tom Petty Radio channel debuted on SiriusXM.[52]

In 2017, the Heartbreakers embarked on a 40th Anniversary Tour of the United States.[53] The tour began on April 20 in Oklahoma City and ended on September 25 with a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California.[53] [54] The Hollywood Bowl concert, which would ultimately be the Heartbreakers' final show, ended with a performance of "American Girl".[55]

On September 28, 2018, Reprise Records released An American Treasure, a 60-track career-spanning box set featuring dozens of previously unreleased recordings, alternate versions of classic songs, rarities, historic live performances and deep tracks. The box set was preceded by the first single, "Keep A Little Soul", in July 2018. The song is an unreleased outtake originally recorded in 1982 during the Long After Dark sessions.[56]

Acting

Petty's first appearance in film took place in 1978, when he had a cameo in FM.[57] He later had a small part in 1987's Made in Heaven and appeared in several episodes of It's Garry Shandling's Show between 1987 and 1990, playing himself as one of Garry Shandling's neighbors. Petty was also featured in Shandling's other show, The Larry Sanders Show, as one of the story within a story final guests. In the episode, Petty gets bumped from the show and nearly comes to blows with Greg Kinnear.[58]

Petty appeared in the 1997 film The Postman, directed by and starring Kevin Costner, as the Bridge City Mayor (from the dialogue it is implied that he is playing a future history version of himself). In 2002, he appeared on The Simpsons in the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", along with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, and Brian Setzer. In it, Petty spoofed himself as a tutor to Homer Simpson on the art of lyric writing, composing a brief song about a drunk girl driving down the road while concerned with the state of public schools. Later in the episode, he loses a toe during a riot.[59]

Petty had a recurring role as the voice of Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy series King of the Hill from 2004 to 2009. In 2010, Petty made a five-second cameo appearance with comedian Andy Samberg in a musical video titled "Great Day" featured on the bonus DVD as part of The Lonely Island's new album Turtleneck & Chain.[60]

Views on artistic control

Petty was known as a staunch guardian of his artistic control and artistic freedom. In 1979, he was involved in a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to MCA Records. He refused to be transferred to another record label without his consent. In May 1979, he filed for bankruptcy and was signed to the new MCA subsidiary Backstreet Records.[61]

In early 1981, the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, which would become Hard Promises, was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following Steely Dan's Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu soundtrack. This so-called "superstar pricing" was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.[62] Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album and naming it Eight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.[63]

In 1987, Petty sued tire company B.F. Goodrich for $1 million for using a song very similar to his song "Mary's New Car" in a TV commercial. The ad agency that produced the commercial had previously sought permission to use Petty's song but was refused.[64] A judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting further use of the ad and the suit was later settled out of court.[65] Petty also disallowed George W. Bush from using "I Won't Back Down" for his 2000 presidential campaign.[66] His family would do the same for Donald Trump in 2020, stating "Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate."[67]

Some outlets have claimed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers single "Dani California", released in May 2006, bears a close musical similarity to Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance".[68] [69] Petty told Rolling Stone, "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock 'n' roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry. The Strokes took 'American Girl' for their song 'Last Nite', and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you' ... If someone took my song note for note and stole it maliciously, then maybe [I'd sue]. But I don't believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs."[70]

In January 2015, it was revealed that Petty and Jeff Lynne would receive royalties from Sam Smith's song "Stay with Me" after its writers acknowledged similarities between it and "I Won't Back Down". Petty and co-composer Lynne were each awarded 12.5% of the royalties from "Stay with Me", and their names were added to the ASCAP song credit.[71] Petty clarified that he did not believe Smith plagiarized him, saying, "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by. Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement".[72]

Personal life

Petty overcame a difficult relationship with his father. He said his father found it difficult to accept that Petty was "a mild-mannered kid who was interested in the arts" and subjected him to verbal and physical abuse on a regular basis. Petty described his father as a "wild, gambling drinker guy".[73] He was close to his mother and his brother, Bruce.[74] [75]

Petty married Jane Benyo in 1974. They had two daughters: Adria, a director, and Annakim, an artist.[76] Benyo told mutual friend Stevie Nicks that she met Petty at "the age of seventeen". Nicks misheard Benyo's North Florida accent, inspiring the title of her song "Edge of Seventeen".[77] Petty and Benyo divorced in 1996.

On May 17, 1987, an arsonist set fire to Petty's house in Encino, California. Firefighters were able to salvage the basement recording studio and the original tapes stored there, as well as his Gibson Dove acoustic guitar. His signature gray top hat was destroyed. The perpetrator was never caught.[78] [79]

Petty struggled with heroin addiction following his divorce from Benyo.[80] He cited the emotional pain of the divorce as a cause.[81] [82] He got clean after going to rehab in 1999, crediting his then-girlfriend Dana York with saving his life by helping him seek treatment.

On June 3, 2001, Petty and York were married in Las Vegas.[83] They married again at their home in Malibu on June 21. Little Richard officiated the wedding, and an all-female mariachi band performed. York had a son from a previous marriage, Dylan.

Petty spoke in 2014 of the benefits from his practice of Transcendental Meditation.[84]

Death

On October 1, 2017, Petty's wife Dana York found him not breathing and in cardiac arrest at their home. He was resuscitated and taken to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where he was put on life support. He died at 8:40p.m. PDT on October 2. There were premature reports of his death throughout the day.[85]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year: Fleetwood Mac. July 28, 2015. Grammy.org. October 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161105094844/https://www.grammy.org/2017-musicares-person-of-the-year-tom-petty. November 5, 2016. dead.
  2. Web site: Tom Petty, Rock And Roll Hero, Dies At 66. Grammy.com. March 11, 2023. December 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221230234612/https://www.grammy.com/news/tom-petty-rock-and-roll-hero-dies-66. live.
  3. Tom Petty's Cause of Death: Accidental Overdose . . November 12, 2022 . November 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221112035414/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tom-pettys-cause-of-death-accidental-overdose-202789/amp/ . live .
  4. Web site: Tom Petty obituary. The Guardian. Sweeting, Adam. October 3, 2017. January 10, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174658/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/03/tom-petty-obituary. January 10, 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Tom Petty: Music Producer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Singer (1950–2017). Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030103/https://www.biography.com/people/tom-petty-201299. October 3, 2017. live.
  6. Web site: DeYoung . Bill . Tom Petty, Musician . July 27, 2004 . The Gainesville Sun . October 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225750/http://www.gainesville.com/article/LK/20040727/News/604163965/GS/ . October 3, 2017 . live .
  7. Web site: A Living History Lesson: Gainesville's Duckpond Neighborhood. December 24, 2019. April 13, 2023. April 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230413105006/https://oakmontfl.com/a-living-history-lesson-gainesvilles-duckpond-neighborhood/. live.
  8. https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2004/05/26/from-local-band-to-superstar/31538868007/ "From a local band to a superstar"
  9. Web site: Sager. Mike. What I've Learned: Tom Petty. Esquire. June 30, 2006. April 12, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080327044004/http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/ESQ0806WIL_134. March 27, 2008. live.
  10. News: Dean . Bill . Tom Petty's Life Changed When He Met Elvis . Gainesville Sun . August 16, 2007 . April 12, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171009194820/http://www.gainesville.com/news/20070816/young-tom-pettys-life-changed-when-he-met-elvis . October 9, 2017 . live .
  11. Newman . Melinda . Tom Petty: A Portrait of the Artist . Billboard . November 28, 2005 . April 12, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071103133707/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60538/tom-petty-a-portrait-of-the-artist . November 3, 2007 . dead .
  12. Web site: Southern Gallery: Tom Petty. https://web.archive.org/web/20171012202716/http://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1327-tom-petty. dead. October 12, 2017. www.oxfordamerican.org.
  13. News: July 27, 2006 . Tom Petty Knows 'How It Feels' . . NPR . live . April 12, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080408143113/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18580517 . April 8, 2008.
  14. Web site: Crandall . Bill . February 6, 2014 . 10 Musicians Who Saw the Beatles Standing There . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140207051338/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-musicians-who-saw-the-beatles-standing-there/ . February 7, 2014 . January 13, 2019 . CBS News.
  15. Tom Petty: Rolling Stones Were 'My Punk Music' . live . Rolling Stone . https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125246/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-rolling-stones-were-my-punk-music-20140717 . October 3, 2017 . October 3, 2017.
  16. Felder, Don (2008). Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles. Wiley. p. 28. .
  17. Web site: Gibson Guitars Interview with Don Felder . Gibson . June 24, 2008 . February 17, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110831013938/http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Features/don%2Dfelder%2D0811/ . August 31, 2011 .
  18. Web site: Tom Petty Discusses Influences, Career During SiriusXM Q&A Session. Hollywood Reporter. Erik. Pedersen. April 17, 2011. May 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140513162928/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-petty-discusses-influences-career-179282. May 13, 2014. live.
  19. Web site: September 13, 2006 Speech to Campus Community Council . September 10, 2008 . Bernie . Machen . September 6, 2006 . University of Florida Office of the President . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080906093854/http://president.ufl.edu/speeches/2006/09/campusCommunityCouncil.html . September 6, 2008 .
  20. News: Tom Petty Gets Key to Gainesville, Fla. . Fox News Channel . November 22, 2006 . April 15, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080406202958/http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Sep22/0%2C4670%2CPeopleTomPetty%2C00.html . April 6, 2008 . dead .
  21. News: Greenberg. Rudi. Tom Petty Turned Back the Clock with Mudcrutch at the 9:30 Club in D.C. on June 6. The Washington Post. October 3, 2017. June 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171004040807/https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2016/06/07/tom-petty-turned-back-the-clock-with-mudcrutch-at-the-930-club-in-d-c-on-june-6/. October 4, 2017. live.
  22. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. Tom Petty: Biography. AllMusic. 2006. April 12, 2008. October 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221018133527/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-petty-mn0000612716. live.
  23. Web site: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: History of the Band. Mudcrutch Farm. April 12, 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080415150228/http://www.mudcrutch.com/index.php?pageid=heartbreakers_history. April 15, 2008.
  24. Web site: Finn. Natalie. Raitt, Browne & Nash Rerock Against Nukes. E!. October 23, 2007. April 12, 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080530083723/http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=08ca35ba-fcf8-4e5d-89a3-db9ecaf79907. May 30, 2008.
  25. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. No Nukes: Overview. AllMusic. April 12, 2008. October 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221018133606/https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-nukes-mw0000024631. live.
  26. Web site: Beviglia. Jim. Behind The Song: Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. American Songwriter. October 3, 2017. February 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125217/http://americansongwriter.com/2016/02/behind-the-song-stevie-nicks-with-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers/. October 3, 2017. dead.
  27. Web site: Jammin' Me: Review . AllMusic . April 19, 2009 . October 25, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101025064205/http://www.allmusic.com/song/t2462926 . live .
  28. Graff. Gary. Tom Petty / May 31, 2008 / Auburn Hills, Mich. (The Palace). Billboard. June 4, 2008. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170318232041/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045211/tom-petty-may-31-2008-auburn-hills-mich-the-palace. March 18, 2017. live.
  29. Readers' Poll: Tom Petty's 10 Best Songs. Rolling Stone. June 19, 2013. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125323/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-tom-pettys-10-best-songs-20130619/5-i-wont-back-down-0964154. October 3, 2017. live.
  30. Patridge. Kenneth. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 'Into the Great Wide Open' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Album Lookback. Billboard. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171014202211/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7423932/tom-petty-heartbreakers-into-the-great-wide-open-25-years. October 14, 2017. live.
  31. Web site: Gold & Platinum – Tom Petty. RIAA. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171008205627/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Tom+Petty#search_section. October 8, 2017. live.
  32. Web site: Philips . Chuck . Petty's Secret Deal Isn't for Petty Cash . Los Angeles Times . April 5, 1992 . 58 . October 3, 2017 . February 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205090409/https://www.latimes.com/archives . live .
  33. Web site: Tom Petty's 'Wildflowers' Turns 25: The Stories Behind the Songs. Sean. Kelly. Ultimate Classic Rock. November 2019 . October 18, 2020. October 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201012192140/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/tom-petty-wildflowers-songs/. live.
  34. Web site: Tom Petty: From the Unchained Sessions to 'I Won't Back Down' – Uncut. Uncut. October 3, 2017. February 16, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003174622/http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/tom-petty-from-the-unchained-sessions-to-i-won-t-back-down-37575. October 3, 2017. live.
  35. Sullivan. Robert. The Best Beatles Reunion. The New Yorker. February 26, 2014. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125502/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-best-beatles-reunion. October 3, 2017. live.
  36. Web site: Graff. Gary. Petty has harsh words about music industry. United Press International. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075119/https://www.upi.com/Petty-has-harsh-words-about-music-industry/28231034008629/. October 3, 2017. live.
  37. Web site: Halperin. Shirley. Jim Ladd, the Inspiration for Tom Petty's 'The Last DJ,' Laid Off From Radio Gig. The Hollywood Reporter. October 27, 2011. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030214/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jim-ladd-tom-petty-last-dj-254148. October 3, 2017. live.
  38. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Chart history. Billboard. October 2, 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160123080145/http://www.billboard.com/artist/430103/tom-petty-the-heartbreakers/chart?f=305. January 23, 2016.
  39. Appleford. Steve. Tom Petty Breaks Out Hits, Deep Cuts and Storytelling at Benefit. Rolling Stone. October 30, 2011. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075000/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-breaks-out-hits-deep-cuts-and-commentary-at-benefit-concert-20111030. October 3, 2017. live.
  40. Stevie Nicks Joins Opening Leg of Petty Tour. Billboard. May 26, 2006. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180426042113/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58305/stevie-nicks-joins-opening-leg-of-petty-tour. April 26, 2018. live.
  41. Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Duets of All Time. Rolling Stone. June 4, 2014. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003224754/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-greatest-duets-of-all-time-20140604/2-stevie-nicks-and-tom-petty-stop-draggin-my-heart-around-52263. October 3, 2017. live.
  42. Light. Alan. Tom Petty: Highway Companion. Rolling Stone. July 20, 2006. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20130812030429/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/highway-companion-20060720. August 12, 2013. live.
  43. MacNeil. Jason. Petty Dusts Off Mudcrutch For Album, Tour. Billboard. March 20, 2008. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180424091130/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046115/petty-dusts-off-mudcrutch-for-album-tour. April 24, 2018. live.
  44. Tom Petty Covers Fats Domino: Listen to "I'm Walkin'" . Rolling Stone . September 17, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090701160446/https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/09/17/tom-petty-covers-fats-domino-listen-to-im-walkin/ . July 1, 2009.
  45. Web site: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Announce US Summer Tour . Komodo Rock . January 25, 2008 . January 27, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080214071306/http://www.komodorock.com/tour-news/tour-dates/tom-petty-%26-the-heartbreakers-announce-us-summer-tour-200801253748/ . February 14, 2008 .
  46. Web site: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Good Enough". Stereogum. October 3, 2017. February 25, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125301/https://www.stereogum.com/279552/tom-petty-the-heartbreakers-good-enough/mp3s/. October 3, 2017. live.
  47. Web site: Alec Baldwin Ties 'SNL' Hosting Record; Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Perform. MTV News. October 3, 2017. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003124816/http://www.mtv.com/news/1639308/alec-baldwin-ties-snl-hosting-record-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-perform/. dead.
  48. Web site: Lewis. Randy. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' stolen guitars recovered. LA Times Blogs – Pop & Hiss. October 3, 2017. April 17, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003124504/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/04/tom-petty-guitars-stolen-theft-recover-heartbreakers.html. October 3, 2017. live.
  49. Ernsberger. Parry. Tour Alert: Drake Launches Club Paradise Tour in 2012. Rolling Stone. December 16, 2011. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125140/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tour-alert-drake-launches-club-paradise-tour-in-2012-20111216. October 3, 2017. live.
  50. Web site: Dunham. Nancy. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Announce 2012 Tour. Ultimate Classic Rock. December 14, 2011 . October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003134001/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/tom-petty-2012-tour/. October 3, 2017. live.
  51. Caufield. Keith. Tom Petty Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200. Billboard. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171123160600/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6207083/tom-petty-1-album-first-billboard-200-hypnotic-eye-heartbreakers. November 23, 2017. live.
  52. Web site: Lewis . Randy . Tom Petty Radio channel debuts Nov. 20 on Sirius XM . Los Angeles Times . November 17, 2015 . October 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225115/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-tom-petty-radio-channel-sirius-xm-20151116-story.html . October 3, 2017 . live .
  53. Web site: 40th Anniversary Tour Announced! – TomPetty.com Official Blog. TomPetty.com Official Website. December 8, 2016 . October 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171007021606/http://www.tompetty.com/news/40th-anniversary-tour-announced-1623236. October 7, 2017. live.
  54. Web site: Martinelli. Marissa. Watch Tom Petty's Final Performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Slate. October 6, 2017. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171006013744/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/10/03/watch_tom_petty_s_final_performance_at_the_hollywood_bowl_video.html. October 6, 2017. live.
  55. Greene. Andy. Watch Tom Petty Play 'American Girl' at His Final Concert. Rolling Stone. October 2, 2017. October 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171005092407/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-tom-petty-play-american-girl-at-his-final-concert-w506751. October 5, 2017. dead.
  56. Web site: Aswad. Jem. Tom Petty 'An American Treasure' Boxed Set Track List Revealed, New Song Drops. Variety. July 11, 2018. July 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724183721/https://variety.com/2018/music/news/tom-petty-an-american-treasure-boxed-set-track-list-revealed-new-song-drops-1202870299/. July 24, 2018. live.
  57. News: Tom Petty: His Legacy In Film And TV. Forbes. Simon. Thompson. October 2, 2017. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125606/https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2017/10/02/tom-petty-his-legacy-in-film-and-tv/. October 3, 2017. live.
  58. News: 10 episodes that made The Larry Sanders Show one of the best comedies of the '90s. The AV Club. Kyle. Ryan. October 3, 2017. February 27, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125010/https://tv.avclub.com/10-episodes-that-made-the-larry-sanders-show-one-of-the-1798236590. October 3, 2017. live.
  59. Tom Petty's Simpson Cameo Perfectly Captured the Thinking Rock Star's Dilemma. Time. October 2, 2017. October 3, 2017. Cady. Lang. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003074048/http://time.com/4966372/tom-petty-simpsons-cameo/. October 3, 2017. live.
  60. News: RANKED: The 13 best songs by The Lonely Island. INSIDER. Ian. Phillips. June 2, 2016. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125527/http://www.thisisinsider.com/10-best-songs-by-the-lonely-island-2016-5. October 3, 2017. live.
  61. Book: Petty, Tom. Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 2007. Chronicle Books. 79. 978-0-811-86201-1.
  62. News: Goldstein . Patrick . Petty Battling MCA Over Record Price Hike . Los Angeles Times . February 1, 1981 . N72.
  63. News: Marsh . Dave . Tom Petty . Musician . July 1981 . 43.
  64. Web site: Goldstein . Patrick . B.F. Goodrich's Ad 'Tires Out' Tom Petty . Los Angeles Times . March 8, 1987 . October 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171028083752/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-08/entertainment/ca-13300_1_tom-petty . October 28, 2017 . live .
  65. News: BFG Ad Not Petty To Petty . Akron Beacon Journal . March 6, 1987 . D8.
  66. News: Tom Petty once sent a cease and desist letter to George W. Bush. Roisin. O'Connor. The Independent. October 2, 2017. August 28, 2021. June 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200622012400/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/tom-petty-dead-latest-cease-and-desist-letter-george-w-bush-i-wont-back-down-politics-trump-a7979771.html. live.
  67. Web site: Tom Petty's Family Send Cease-And-Desist Letter To Trump For Song Use. HotNewHipHop. Bake. Cole. June 21, 2020. June 22, 2020. June 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200623082249/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/tom-pettys-family-send-cease-and-desist-letter-to-trump-for-song-use-news.112987.html. live.
  68. Web site: WGMD . . September 8, 2006 . January 27, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100825150814/http://www.wgmd.com/newspost/fullnews.php?id=1142 . August 25, 2010 .
  69. Web site: Red Hot Chili Peppers Accused of Plagiarism . May 31, 2006 . BC Magazine . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060613063323/http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/31/104324.php . June 13, 2006.
  70. Neil . Strauss . Rolling Stone Interview, 2006 . Rolling Stone . June 30, 2006 . January 27, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091203134421/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10698880/tom_pettys_last_dance/4 . December 3, 2009 . dead .
  71. Web site: Update: Tom Petty awarded songwriting royalties for Sam Smith's "Stay With Me". Consequence of Sound. January 29, 2015. August 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151218235728/https://consequence.net/2015/01/tom-petty-awarded-songwriting-royalties-for-sam-smiths-stay-with-me/. December 18, 2015. live.
  72. Kreps. Daniel. Tom Petty on Sam Smith Settlement: 'No Hard Feelings. These Things Happen'. January 31, 2015. Rolling Stone. January 29, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150131054751/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-on-sam-smith-settlement-no-hard-feelings-these-things-happen-20150129. January 31, 2015. live.
  73. Book: Zollo, Paul . Conversations with Tom Petty . Omnibus Press . 2005 . 1-84449-815-8 . 8–15.
  74. DeYoung, Bill. "Full Steam Ahead". Goldmine July 13, 1990.
  75. Runnin' Down a Dream (2007). Documentary film by Peter Bogdanovich.
  76. Tom Petty on the 'Good Thing About Getting Old': 'You Know What's Worth Spending Time on and What's Not'. Billboard. July 21, 2014. October 2, 2017. Fred. Schruers. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003203832/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6174100/tom-petty-billboard-cover-story-full. October 3, 2017. live.
  77. Tannenbaum. Rob. Stevie Nicks Admits Past Pregnancy With Don Henley and More About Her Wild History. Billboard. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170921130306/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6266329/stevie-nicks-interview-on-don-henley-fleetwood-mac-24-karat-gold-album. September 21, 2017. live.
  78. News: May 18, 1987 . Rock Star Tom Petty's Home Damaged in Fire . Metro sec. . Los Angeles Times . live . October 3, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171113060651/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-05-18/local/me-486_1_fire-officials . November 13, 2017.
  79. Book: Zollo, Paul . Conversations With Tom Petty . Omnibus Press . 2005 . 1-84449-815-8 . 106–109.
  80. Web site: Ellis . Ralph . January 21, 2018 . Tom Petty died of accidental drug overdose, medical examiner says . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180123180013/http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/19/health/tom-petty-cause-of-death/index.html . January 23, 2018 . January 24, 2018 . CNN.
  81. Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes, epilogue
  82. People Magazine article: How Tom Petty Overcame an Abusive Childhood, Heartbreaking Divorce and Heroin Addiction to Find True Love ".
  83. Uhelszki. Jann. Tom Petty Gets Hitched. Rolling Stone. June 19, 2001. October 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075153/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-gets-hitched-20010619. October 3, 2017. live.
  84. Web site: Willman . Chris . Dixie Chicks, Russell Simmons Meditate on Rick Rubin's Greatness at David Lynch Foundation Event . April 27, 2014 . The Hollywood Reporter . February 28, 2014 . [T]here are plenty of other stars left to testify to TM's benefits, including Paul McCartney and Tom Petty. . March 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140304083118/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dixie-chicks-russell-simmons-meditate-684492 . live .
  85. News: How confusion spread over news of Tom Petty's 'death'. News.com.au. October 3, 2017. October 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003234241/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/how-confusion-spread-over-news-of-tom-pettys-death/news-story/c07ec7cd7d255b5e698c5e90be90f92c. October 3, 2017. live.
  86. Web site: Tom Petty's Death Was Reported Prematurely. How Did The Media Botch It So Badly?. Schonfeld. Zach. Newsweek. October 3, 2017. October 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003233512/http://www.newsweek.com/tom-petty-death-cardiac-arrest-tmz-cbs-news-676526. October 3, 2017. live.
  87. Web site: Tom Petty Was the Great Rock Songwriter We Too Often Took for Granted. Andy. Hermann. October 3, 2017. LA Weekly. October 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003223719/http://www.laweekly.com/music/tom-pettys-legacy-as-a-heartbreaker-traveling-wilbury-and-songwriter-is-unparalleled-8714895. October 3, 2017. live.
  88. Tom Petty, Rock Icon Who Led the Heartbreakers, Dead at 66. Rolling Stone. October 2, 2017. October 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171004001457/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-rock-iconoclast-who-led-the-heartbreakers-dead-at-66-w506651. October 4, 2017. live.
  89. Web site: Tom Petty Private Funeral Services Held Today. October 16, 2017. October 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018133920/https://theblast.com/tom-petty-funeral/. October 18, 2017. live.
  90. Web site: LA Coroner: Tom Petty's Death Was Due To An Accidental Overdose . Gonzales . Richard . January 19, 2018 . . July 19, 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220115145434/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/19/579300512/l-a-coroner-tom-petty-s-death-was-due-to-an-accidental-overdose . January 15, 2022.
  91. Tom Petty's Cause of Death: Accidental Overdose. Rolling Stone. January 20, 2018. January 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180120032006/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-pettys-cause-of-death-accidental-overdose-w515472. January 20, 2018. live.
  92. Tom Petty's Cause of Death: Accidental Overdose. Grow. Kory. January 20, 2018. Rolling Stone. August 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180822020951/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tom-pettys-cause-of-death-accidental-overdose-202789/. August 22, 2018. live.
  93. Web site: Tom Petty died of accidental drug overdose, medical examiner says . CNN. January 20, 2018 . January 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180120114442/https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/19/health/tom-petty-cause-of-death/index.html . January 20, 2018 . live .
  94. Web site: Statement. TomPetty.com Official Website. January 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180120023825/http://www.tompetty.com/statement. January 20, 2018. live.
  95. Tom Petty's Widow and Bandmates Reflect on His Unreleased Material – And What's Next . Fred . Schruers . . September 28, 2018 . October 1, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181002232920/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477364/tom-petty-box-set-interview . October 2, 2018 . live.
  96. News: Petty's stolen Rickenbacker one of band's many vintage instruments . June 9, 2020 . Los Angeles Times . June 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200609160945/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/pettys-stolen-rickenbacker-one-of-the-bands-many-vintage-instruments.html . live .
  97. Web site: Ed . Roman . Tom Petty Guitars . Celebrityrockstarguitars.com . January 27, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100919093952/http://celebrityrockstarguitars.com/rock/petty.htm . September 19, 2010 . dead .
  98. Web site: Picture of Tom Petty playing guitar. February 1, 2020. January 16, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200116045258/https://www.tdpri.com/attachments/t7-jpg.502666/. live.
  99. Web site: Picture of Tom Petty playing guitar . February 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200201033649/https://www.tdpri.com/attachments/334e7bba-2c00-4da0-bb1b-0b2057099a7b-jpeg.582717/ . February 1, 2020 . live .
  100. Web site: Archived copy . February 1, 2020 . February 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210225061641/https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f0/94/15/f0941539400da7d2a8fe7e76c07c0c7c.jpg . dead .
  101. Web site: Backstage Pass: Tom Petty . Guitaredge.com . January 27, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101007124016/http://www.guitaredge.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107:backstage-pass-tom-petty&catid=48:backstage-pass&Itemid=69 . October 7, 2010.
  102. Eric. Boehlert. Does paying tribute pay?. October 3, 2017. Billboard. January 21, 1995. 83. One of the most interesting salutes in 1994 was "You Got Lucky – A Tribute To Tom Petty".... https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225435/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA83. October 3, 2017. live.
  103. Book: Goss. James P. Pop Culture Florida. 2000. Pineapple Press. 978-1-56164-199-4. 52. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171004034702/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OVEk7QcEEKEC&pg=PA52. October 4, 2017. live.
  104. BMI, ASCAP Celebrate 1996 Pop Music Awards. October 3, 2017. Billboard. August 17, 1996. Among the evening's highlights was the presentation of the Golden Note Award to songwriter, artist, and producer Tom Petty.. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225519/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wQcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56. October 3, 2017. live.
  105. Book: Hoffman. Frank. Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900–2000. 2016. Routledge. 978-1-135-86886-4. 501. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225654/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hAI3DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA501. October 3, 2017. live.
  106. Web site: Plain Dealer staff. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum timeline: 1995–2010. The Plain Dealer. October 3, 2017. September 3, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019105528/http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/08/rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_and_3.html. October 19, 2017. live.
  107. News: June 30, 2006. Rock Hall exhibits Tom Petty, Heartbreakers. Today. Associated Press. live. October 3, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003143616/https://www.today.com/popculture/rock-hall-exhibits-tom-petty-heartbreakers-wbna13639142. October 3, 2017.
  108. Tom Petty ranked 91st greatest artist. Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. August 1, 2021. August 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210801210049/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-artists-147446/tom-petty-3-48722/. live.
  109. Tom Petty To Receive Billboard's Century Award. October 3, 2017. Billboard. October 13, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20180426172345/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/61096/tom-petty-to-receive-billboards-century-award. April 26, 2018. live.
  110. Mitchell. Gail. 2005 Billboard Music Awards. October 3, 2017. Billboard. December 17, 2005. Billboard171205. 21. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong presented Petty with the Billboard Century Award. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003124855/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dxMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=Petty+received+the+Billboard+Century+Award+for+his+lifetime+achievements.&source=bl&ots=Ql8uYU5WD3&sig=Odv6pw9UXISVN27_ZtvCbLmkTAM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju9_Oq6tPWAhXMmLQKHe0cBlwQ6AEISjAG#v=snippet&q=%22Billboard%20Century%20Award%22&f=false. October 3, 2017. live.
  111. Web site: Tom Petty gets key to Gainesville, Fla. . Associated Press . USA Today . September 22, 2006 . January 27, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091003025920/http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-09-22-tom-petty_x.htm . October 3, 2009 . live .
  112. News: Carr. David. David Carr (journalist). Big Screen Embraces Hot Muse: Rock Stars. October 3, 2017. The New York Times. October 10, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125202/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/movies/10pett.html. October 3, 2017. live.
  113. Web site: Petty gets tribute panel on 34th Street mural. The Gainesville Sun. October 3, 2017. July 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190721210912/https://www.gainesville.com/news/20171003/petty-gets-tribute-panel-on-34th-street-mural. July 21, 2019. live.
  114. News: Family members and hundreds of fans welcome 'Tom Petty Park'. Swirko. Cindy. October 20, 2018. Gainesville Sun. October 21, 2018. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20181021032157/https://www.gainesville.com/news/20181020/family-members-and-hundreds-of-fans-welcome-tom-petty-park. October 21, 2018. live.
  115. Tom Petty Receives Posthumous Ph.D. for Music at University of Florida. December 4, 2021. December 5, 2021. Billboard. December 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211204212138/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/tom-petty-phd-university-of-florida-1235005884/. live.
  116. Wildflowers ranked 214th by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115171944/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/tom-petty-wildflowers-2-1063019/. live.
  117. Damn the Torpedoes ranked 231st by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115171947/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-damn-the-torpedoes-2-1063002/. live.
  118. Full Moon Fever ranked 298th by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115171947/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/tom-petty-full-moon-fever-2-1062935/. live.
  119. American Girl ranked 169th by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115171944/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-american-girl-1225169/. live.
  120. Free Fallin' ranked 219th by Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115171949/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/tom-petty-free-fallin-2-1225119/. live.
  121. Web site: 10/15/2022 University of Florida Gator Marching Band Tom Petty Tribute Show . . February 13, 2023 . February 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213061441/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMn5SNyo3_8 . live .
  122. Web site: Florida to Celebrate Inaugural Tom Petty Day. Floridagators.com.
  123. Web site: December 5, 2023 . Tom Petty song is the apt soundtrack to long-awaited GTA 6 . December 6, 2023 . The Independent . en . December 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231205183951/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/tom-petty-love-long-road-gta-6-trailer-music-soundtrack-b2458638.html . live .
  124. Web site: December 5, 2023 . Grand Theft Auto VI trailer energizes fans. But it's been a tough year overall for the video game industry. . December 6, 2023 . NBC News . en.
  125. Web site: Salisbury . Josh . December 6, 2023 . Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer breaks record for most YouTube views in 24 hours . December 6, 2023 . Evening Standard . en.
  126. Web site: Yin-Poole . Wesley . December 6, 2023 . GTA 6 Trailer Sparks Massive Spotify Boost for Tom Petty's Love Is a Long Road . December 6, 2023 . IGN . en . June 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615113407/https://www.ign.com/articles/gta-6-trailer-sparks-massive-spotify-boost-for-tom-pettys-love-is-a-long-road . live .
  127. Web site: Lewis. Randy. Tom Petty, Heartbreakers frontman who sang 'Breakdown,' 'Free Fallin and other hits, dies at 66|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-tom-petty-20171002-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003095420/http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-tom-petty-20171002-story.html |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |access-date=October 3, 2017}}[85] [86] [87] [88]

    A memorial service for Petty was held at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on October 16, 2017, four days before what would have been his 67th birthday.[89]

    On January 19, 2018, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced that Petty's death was due to an "accidental overdose" stating "multisystem organ failure due to resuscitated cardiopulmonary arrest due to mixed drug toxicity",[90] [91] [92] a combination of fentanyl, oxycodone, acetylfentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl (all opioids); temazepam and alprazolam (both benzodiazepines); and citalopram (an antidepressant).[93] In a statement on his website, Petty's wife and daughter said he had a number of medical problems, including emphysema, knee difficulties "and most significantly a fractured hip". He was prescribed pain medication for these problems and informed on the day of his death that his hip injury had worsened. The statement read, "[it] is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his overuse of medication.[..] We feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident."[94]

    On September 23, 2018, Petty's widow Dana gave an interview to Billboard saying that Petty put off hip surgery his doctors had recommended for some time. "He'd had it in mind it was his last tour and he owed it to his long-time crew, from decades some of them, and his fans." Dana said that Petty was in a good mood the day before his death: "He had those three shows in L.A. Never had he been so proud of himself, so happy, so looking forward to the future—and then he's gone."[95]

    Equipment

    Petty owned and used a number of guitars over the years. From 1976 to 1982, his main instrument was a sunburst 1964 Fender Stratocaster. He also used Rickenbacker guitars from 1979 onwards.[96] The Rickenbacker 660/12TP neck was designed by Petty and featured his signature from 1991 to 1997.[97] He also extensively played several Fender Telecasters[98] [99] [100] and a Guild D25 12-string acoustic.

    Petty's later amplifier setup featured two Fender Vibro-King 60-watt combos.[101]

    Awards and honors

    See main article: List of awards and nominations received by Tom Petty. In 1994, You Got Lucky, a Petty tribute album featuring such bands as Everclear and Silkworm was released.[102]

    In April 1996, Petty received UCLA's George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement.[103] The next month, Petty won the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Golden Note Award.[104]

    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, for their contribution to the recording industry.[105]

    In December 2001, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[106] which further honored Petty with an exhibit of his items from July 2006 until 2007.[107]

    He is ranked 91st on Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.[108]

    Petty received the Billboard Century Award, the organization's highest honor for creative achievement on December 6, 2005.[109] [110]

    In September 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received the keys to the city of Gainesville, Florida, where he and his bandmates either lived or grew up.[111]

    Peter Bogdanovich's documentary film on Petty's career titled Runnin' Down a Dream premiered at the New York Film Festival in October 2007.[112]

    Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.

    A week after his death in 2017, a tribute to Petty was painted on Gainesville's Southwest 34th Street Wall. It reads "Love you always, Gainesville No. 1 Son, Thanks, Tommy".[113]

    In October 2018, on what would have been the singer's 68th birthday, the city of Gainesville renamed the former Northeast Park, a park where a young Petty had often visited, as Tom Petty Park.[114]

    In December 2021, the University of Florida board of trustees unanimously voted to posthumously award Petty with an honorary Ph.D. from the school.[115]

    He has three albums, Wildflowers (No. 214),[116] Damn the Torpedoes (No. 231),[117] and Full Moon Fever (No. 298)[118] on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. He has two songs on the same magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. "American Girl" (No. 169),[119] and "Free Fallin'" (No. 219).[120]

    In October 2022, the University of Florida's Pride of the Sunshine dedicated their halftime show to Tom Petty's music[121] as part of the university's inaugural Tom Petty Day.[122] The band would continue to tribute their performances to Tom Petty during halftime in several other games throughout the 2022-23 football season.

    In December 2023, Petty's song "Love Is a Long Road" was used in the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI,[123] which is considered one of the most anticipated video games ever made.[124] This trailer gained over 90 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours.[125] Because of this immense bump in popularity, the song itself gained nearly 1 million YouTube views in the same time span, gained a 36,979% increase on Spotify, had almost 250,000 searches on Shazam, and ranked second on the worldwide iTunes chart.[126]

    Discography

    See main article: Tom Petty discography.

    With the Heartbreakers

    With the Traveling Wilburys

    Solo

    With Mudcrutch

    Posthumously

    Filmography

    Film
    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1978FMHimself
    1987Made in HeavenStanky
    1996She's the OneSoundtrack
    1997The PostmanBridge City Mayor
    2007Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a DreamHimselfMusic Documentary
    2013Sound CityHimselfMusic Documentary
    2018HimselfMusic Documentary
    2019Echo in the CanyonHimselfMusic Documentary
    2021HimselfMusic Documentary
    Television
    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1979–2010Saturday Night LiveHimself (musical guest)8 episodes
    — "Buck Henry/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" (1979)
    — "Howard Hesseman/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" (1983)
    — "Steve Martin/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" (1989)
    — "Kirstie Alley/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" (1992)
    — "John Turturro/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" (1994)
    — "Tom Hanks/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" (1996)
    — "John Goodman/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" (1999)
    — "Alec Baldwin/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" (2010)
    1987–89It's Garry Shandling's ShowHimself4 episodes
    — "It's Gary Shandling's Christmas Show" (1987)
    — "No Baby, No Show" (1987)
    — "Vegas: Part 1" (1989)
    — "Vegas: Part 2" (1989)
    1989BiographyHimself (interviewee)Episode: "Johnny Cash: The Man in Black"
    1994Tom Petty: Going HomeHimselfTV documentary
    1998The Larry Sanders ShowHimselfEpisode: "Flip"
    1999Behind the MusicHimselfEpisode: "Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers"
    2002The SimpsonsHimself (voice role)Episode: "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation"
    2004–09King of the HillLucky (voice role)recurring role (28 episodes)
    2008Super Bowl XLIIHimselfHalftime show
    Credited as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    See also

    External links

    .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tom Petty".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.