When it comes to American rock music, no musician has sounded as American or as rock n’ roll as Tom Petty. On Monday, Oct. 2, the vocalist/guitarist of The Heartbreakers died at age 66, after being taken off of life support following cardiac arrest the day before.
Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida, where he began playing rock music in the 1970s, and eventually formed The Heartbreakers. The band achieved moderate success with the debut of their first album “Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers,” with hits like “Breakdown” and “An American Girl.” Their 1979 album “Damn the Torpedoes,” however proved to be their breakthrough album, making them a staple of rock music throughout the 1980s.
Tom Petty with The Heartbreakers
In 1989, Petty released his first solo album, “Full Moon Fever” (most of The Heartbreakers still appeared on the record), yielding the hits “Freefallin’,” “Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” The band kept going strong with “Into the Great Wide Open” in 1991, featuring “Learning to Fly.” A greatest hits album came soon after with new songs including “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” Petty continued to record albums and tour with his band and had just wrapped up a major tour before his death.
Petty had a unique musical style. Whether with or without his band, his signature Heartland, jangle-rock, Rickenbacker guitar sound was timeless—no matter what era of his music you listen to, his sound was never defined by popular music. Though he always maintained that he was a rock artist, hints of folk and country have always shined through in his songwriting, especially with songs like “Wildflowers.” He influenced many artists of different musical backgrounds, including rock icon Jon Bon Jovi and alt-country musician Ryan Adams. Petty also got to play with musicians who influenced him, joining Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynn and George Harrison to form The Traveling Wilburys for their album, “Volume 1” in 1988. In 1990, Petty, Dylan, Lynn and Harrison reunited for a second Wilburys album, called “Volume 3.” Petty also was a member of the group Mudcrutch, the precursor to The Heartbreakers in the 1970s. The group reformed in 2007 with most of the original members. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were also the studio band for Johnny Cash’s album, “Unchained” in 1996.
Tom Petty performed at Scottrade Center in St. Louis last year
Tom Petty was true to himself and his music. That was so evident in the songs he wrote and is the reason his professional music career spanned over 40 years. Though he is gone, his music was built to last.