Tom Petty | Artist

Thomas Earl Petty was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor born 1950 in Gainesville, Florida. He was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers formed in 1976, a successful solo musician, and part of the mega-star combo The Traveling Wilburys. With a distinctive vocal and guitar sound, his Americana influenced style saw him become one of the most popular rock musicians of his era. Petty's interest in rock and roll music began at age ten when he had an opportunity to meet Elvis Presley. 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. Petty instantly became a Presley fan, trading his Wham-O slingshot for a collection of Elvis 45s. He also wanted to be in a band the moment he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. Growing up, Petty worked as a gardener at the University of Florida, then briefly as a gravedigger. In 1976 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. After Mudcrutch folded, Petty pursued a solo career and Tench formed his own group, whose sound Petty admired. 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 among American audiences, achieving greater success in Britan. The singles "American Girl" and "Breakdown" peaked at No. 40 after the band toured the UK in support of Nils Lofgren. 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". He went on to make 17 studio albums, most credited to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Standout albums include Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1976), Damn the Torpedoes (1979), Full Moon Fever (1989) and Wildflowers (1994). Also recommended are the archival releases An American Treasure (2018) and The Live Anthology (2009). Petty Also featured on two Wilburys albums, alongside his pals George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lyne, and Roy Orbison. Tom Petty died on October 2nd 2017 at the age of 66 from an accidental drug overdose. Petty was suffering from various painful ailments prompting his overuse of opiod painkillers. In 2002, Petty 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, he 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.

Artist Website: tompetty.com

Featured Albums: Tom Petty

Related Artists: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Traveling Wilburys