Celebrating the Life and Music of Tom Petty

Tom Petty 1950-2017
American music icon and rock superstar, Tom Petty, passed away Monday night after suffering cardiac arrest. In an official statement on his website, longtime manager of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tony Dimitriades, wrote:

"On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty.

He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived.

He died peacefully at 8:40PM PST surrounded by family, his bandmates, and friends."

Tom Petty was a musician in every sense of the word – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Petty has recorded a number of hit singles both with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. He has sold an astounding 80+ million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Suffice it to say, Tom Petty was a legend.





Born in Gainesville, Florida, Petty was inspired by the likes of Elvis Presley – whom he met when he was ten – The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles:

“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 the 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.”

Learn more about Petty’s career in the 2007 documentary, Runnin’ Down a Dream, available to watch on Netflix. The film chronicles The Heartbreakers – including their lesser-known exploits as Mudcrutch – as well as Petty’s life as a solo act.





With so many amazing hits, it is hard to pick one to highlight – or even a small handful – but it is through these songs that his legacy will live on. In a special performance on Monday night, Coldplay performed one of what is sure to be many tributes to Tom Petty’s legacy.



Whether you are a long-time Tom Petty fan or only recently aquainted, take some time to listen to this Spotify-curated playlist celebrating his life and legacy:

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