Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1976–2017 |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | Traveling Wilburys |
| Spinoff of | Mudcrutch |
| Past members | |
| Website | tompetty |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed inGainesville, Florida, in 1976.[1] The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitaristTom Petty, lead guitaristMike Campbell, keyboardistBenmont Tench, drummerStan Lynch and bassistRon Blair. In 1982, Blair, weary of the touring lifestyle, departed the band. His replacement,Howie Epstein, remained with the band for the next two decades. In 1991,Scott Thurston joined the band as a multi-instrumentalist, primarily on rhythm guitar and secondary keyboard. In 1994,Steve Ferrone replaced Lynch on drums. Blair returned to the Heartbreakers in 2002, the year before Epstein's death. The band had a long string of hit singles, including "Breakdown", "American Girl" (both 1976), "Refugee" (1979), "The Waiting" (1981), "Learning to Fly" (1991), and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" (1993), among many others, that stretched over several decades of work.
Although Petty was insistent that the band's musical style be referred to as simplyrock and roll,[2] the Heartbreakers' music was characterized as bothSouthern rock[3] andheartland rock,[4] cited alongside artists such asBruce Springsteen,Bob Seger, andJohn Mellencamp as progenitors of the latter genre, which arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While the heartland rock movement waned in the 1990s, the band remained active and popular, touring regularly until Petty's death in 2017, after which the Heartbreakers disbanded. Their final studio album,Hypnotic Eye, was released in 2014.
The band was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, their first year of eligibility. Although most of their material was produced and performed under the name "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers", Petty releasedthree solo albums, the most successful of which wasFull Moon Fever (1989). In these releases, some members of the band contributed as collaborators, producing and performing asstudio musicians.
As a teenager, Tom Petty joined or formed several bands in his hometown ofGainesville, Florida, included the Sundowners and the Epics, with Petty playing guitar and bass and singing as needed. In 1970, he and fellowNorth Central Florida residentMike Campbell (lead guitar) formedMudcrutch, withBenmont Tench (keyboards) joining in 1972. The band was a local success, eventually playing gigs across Florida, enjoying regular residences at popular clubs, and organizing music festivals at "Mudcrutch Farm", a large empty lot adjacent to the small house where most band members lived.[5] In 1974, Mudcrutch relocated to Los Angeles, California in attempt to gain the attention of a major record label.Leon Russell signed them toShelter Records, but their 1975 debut single "Depot Street" failed to chart, and after failing to record another single to their label's satisfaction, Mudcrutch disbanded.[5]
Though Mudcrutch had dissolved, Petty remained attached to Shelter Records as a songwriter and solo artist, and in 1976, he reunited with Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench to form "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" along with fellow Gainesville expatriatesStan Lynch on drums andRon Blair on bass.[1] The Heartbreakers began their recording career witha self-titled album. Initially, the Heartbreakers did not gain much traction in the U.S., although they achieved early success in the UK after playing "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" onTop of the Pops.[6] While subsequent singles "Breakdown" and "American Girl" failed to sell in the US, the band continued to gain attention in the UK. Recalling the band's brief British tour in 1976, Petty stated, "The audience just jumped up and charged the stage and were boogieing their brains out. It was such a rush. Wow, we had never seen anything like that, man."[6] "Breakdown" was re-released in the U.S. and became aTop 40 hit in 1978, after word filtered back of the band's massive success in Britain, and perhaps more importantly after it featured on the extremely popular soundtrack to the 1978 film,FM. "American Girl" was covered in 1977 byRoger McGuinn on his "Thunderbyrd" LP.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' second album,You're Gonna Get It! (1978), was their firstgold record, and featured the singles "I Need to Know" and "Listen To Her Heart". In 1979, the band was dragged into a legal dispute whenABC Records, Shelter's distributor, was sold toMCA Records. Petty refused to be transferred to another record label and held fast to his principles, which led to his filing for bankruptcy as a tactic against MCA.
In 1979, after their legal dispute was settled, the Heartbreakers released their third album,Damn the Torpedoes, through MCA'sBackstreet label. The album rapidly wentplatinum. It included "Don't Do Me Like That" (#10 U.S., the group's first Top Ten single) and "Refugee" (#15 U.S.), their U.S. breakthrough singles.
Although he was already extremely successful, Petty again ran into record company trouble when he and the Heartbreakers prepared to releaseHard Promises (1981), the follow-up album toDamn the Torpedoes.MCA wanted to release the record at the list price of $9.98. This so-called "superstar pricing" was a dollar more than the usual list price of $8.98. 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 or naming itEight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase. The album became a Top Ten hit, going platinum and spawning the hit single "The Waiting" (#19 U.S.). The album also included the duet "Insider", withStevie Nicks.
On their fifth album,Long After Dark (1982), bass playerRon Blair was replaced byHowie Epstein (formerly ofDel Shannon's backing band), giving the Heartbreakers their lineup until 1991.Long After Dark features the hits "You Got Lucky" (U.S. #20) and "Change of Heart" (U.S. #21), and was to feature a track called "Keeping Me Alive", but producerJimmy Iovine vetoed it from the album. Petty had expressed that he felt the album would have been more successful if "Keeping Me Alive" had been included.[7]
On the sixth album,Southern Accents (1985), the Heartbreakers picked up where they had left off.[clarification needed] The recording was not without problems; Petty became frustrated during the mixing process and broke his left hand when punching a wall. The album included thepsychedelic-sounding hit single "Don't Come Around Here No More" (#13 U.S.), which was produced by and co-written withDave Stewart. The video for the single, which starred Stewart, featured Petty dressed asthe Mad Hatter, mocking and chasingAlice from the bookAlice's Adventures in Wonderland, then cutting and eating her as if she were a cake. This caused minor controversy after it was criticized byfeminist groups,[citation needed] but the video did win anMTV Video Music Award.
A successful concert tour led to the live albumPack Up the Plantation: Live! (1985). The band's live capabilities were also showcased whenBob Dylan invited the Heartbreakers to join him on hisTrue Confessions Tour through Australia, Japan and the U.S. (1986) and Europe (1987). Petty praised Dylan, saying, "I don't think there is anyone we admire more."
Also in 1987, the group releasedLet Me Up (I've Had Enough), a studio album made to sound like a live recording, using a technique they borrowed from Dylan. It includes "Jammin' Me" (#18 U.S.), which Petty wrote with Dylan andCampbell. Dylan recorded a version of the Petty composition "Got My Mind Made Up" on his albumKnocked Out Loaded, which was credited as being written by Dylan and Petty.
In 1989, Petty released his debut solo albumFull Moon Fever, which included five singles ("I Won't Back Down", "Runnin' Down a Dream", "Free Fallin'", "A Face in the Crowd" and "Yer So Bad"), and was accompanied by a tour withthe Replacements. Two years later, the Heartbreakers releasedInto the Great Wide Open, produced byJeff Lynne, who had worked with Petty in theTraveling Wilburys. Songs includedthe title track itself and "Learning to Fly". Multi-instrumentalistScott Thurston joined the band as of the tour for the album.
In 1993, Petty releasedGreatest Hits, which included the hit single "Mary Jane's Last Dance".Stan Lynch had moved to Florida, but was persuaded to return for his last session with the band.
In 1994, Lynch left the band. DrummerDave Grohl, formerly of the bandNirvana, sat in on a number of performances, but declined to join the band, instead choosing to pursue his own solo work which eventually grew into the bandFoo Fighters. The band was now and for the next several years officially a quartet with no permanent drummer, but beginning in 1995 for live showsSteve Ferrone, formerly a session and touring musician who had played with numerous other acts, served as drummer. He had worked with Petty, Campbell, Tench, and Epstein on Petty's solo albumWildflowers.
In 1995, a six-CD box-set titledPlayback was released. Approximately half of the tracks were previously available on albums, and the rest wereB-sides, demos and live tracks. Two notable tracks are a "solo" version of Petty's 1981 duet withStevie Nicks, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", and the song "Waiting for Tonight", which features vocals bythe Bangles. The latter song also appeared on the two-CD anthology released in 2000,Anthology: Through the Years.
In 1996, Petty reunited with the Heartbreakers and released a soundtrack to the filmShe's the One starringCameron Diaz andJennifer Aniston, titledSongs and Music from "She's the One". Three songs charted from the album: "Walls (Circus)" (featuringLindsey Buckingham), "Climb that Hill", and a song written byLucinda Williams, "Changed the Locks". The album also included a cover version ofBeck's song "Asshole".Curt Bisquera, not an official member of the group, was the drummer on most of the album, withRingo Starr substituting on one track and Ferrone playing on two others.
In 1999, Petty and the Heartbreakers released the albumEcho, produced byRick Rubin. The album reached number 10 in the U.S. album charts and featured, among other singles, "Room at the Top". The band was still officially a four-piece (Petty, Campbell, Tench and Epstein), augmented by Ferrone on drums andScott Thurston on various guitars, lap steel and ukulele. Both Ferrone and Thurston were promoted to full band membership after the album was released, and would remain Heartbreakers for the rest of the band's existence.
On April 28, 1999, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard, for their contributions to the recording industry.[8]
In 2002, the group releasedThe Last DJ. Many of the tracks' lyrics contain stinging attacks on the music industry and major record companies. The album reached number 9 in the U.S. charts. BassistRon Blair played on two of the tracks. He replaced Epstein, who had previously been Blair's replacement, on the band's 2002 tour as a result of Epstein's deepening personal problems and drug abuse. Epstein died in 2003 at the age of 47.
In the band's thirtieth anniversary year, 2006, they headlined the fifth annualBonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. In addition to Bonnaroo, Petty was on tour throughout the summer of 2006. The tour started inCharlotte, North Carolina, on June 9 and ended inRandall's Island, New York on August 19. Stops included major cities such as New York, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Denver. Supporting acts during the tour includedPearl Jam,the Allman Brothers Band, andTrey Anastasio. Additionally,Stevie Nicks joined the band onstage during the first eight concerts as well as subsequent second-leg dates to perform various songs from the Heartbreakers' catalog. For theHighway Companion Tour, they offered a Highway Companion's Club which allowed fans to receive priority seating, discounts at the Tom Petty Store, a complimentary CD ofHighway Companion and a personalized email address.
In 2006, theABC U.S. television network hired Petty to do the music for itsNBA Playoffs coverage.
On September 21, 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received the keys to the city ofGainesville, Florida, where he and his bandmates either lived or grew up. Petty quipped, when questioned about the key he received from Gainesville's mayor, "It's a lot nicer than the one we got in Chicago."[9]
From July 2006 until 2007, theRock and Roll Hall of Fame inCleveland, Ohio featured an exhibit of Tom Petty items. Much of the content was donated by Petty himself from a visit to his home by some of the Rock Hall curatorial staff.
In 2007, the band accepted an invitation to participate in atribute album toFats Domino, contributing their version of "I'm Walkin'" toGoin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (Vanguard).
In 2008, the Heartbreakers were also featured as theSuper Bowl XLII halftime show. In April that year, the members of Petty's previous band,Mudcrutch—Petty, Tench, and Campbell, along with Randall Marsh and Tom Leadon—released a Mudcrutchalbum. In late 2008, they released a live EP.
The band issuedThe Live Anthology, a collection of live recordings, on November 23, 2009, and announced a new studio album,Mojo, for release in the spring of 2010.[10] The band releasedHypnotic Eye on July 29, 2014, and archive recordings from their Playlist box setNobody's Children andThrough the Cracks digitally in 2015.
In 2017, the band embarked on a 40th Anniversary Tour of the United States.[11] The tour began on April 20 inOklahoma City and ended on September 25 with a performance at theHollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California.[11][12] The Hollywood Bowl concert, which became the Heartbreakers' final show, ended with a performance of "American Girl".[13]
Early in the morning on October 2, 2017, Petty was found unconscious in his home, not breathing, and in full cardiac arrest. Following premature media reports of his death, Petty died at theUCLA Medical Center inSanta Monica, California. He was 66.[14][15]
Though the group did not formally disband, Petty stated in his final interview, with theLos Angeles Times a few days before his death, that the Heartbreakers would probably disband if one of its members died or became too ill to perform.[16]
In April 2018, Campbell, Tench and Ferrone acted as the house band for the Light Up the Blues benefit concert in Los Angeles, backingBeck,Neil Young,Patti Smith, andStephen Stills, with whom they performed Petty's "I Won't Back Down".[17] That same month, it was announced that Campbell (along withNeil Finn) had joinedFleetwood Mac to replace lead guitaristLindsey Buckingham.[18]
In September 2023, Campbell, Tench and Ferrone backedBob Dylan for a surprise performance atFarm Aid.[19]
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
During the course of the band, the various members did session work for other notable artists. In 1981, Petty and Campbell wrote the lyrics to "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", which was intended as a Heartbreakers song. However, their producerJimmy Iovine, who was also producingStevie Nicks, suggested it be turned into a duet with her, and the band agreed, so the song ended up on her albumBella Donna.[20] All the Heartbreakers except Ron Blair had performed on the track.
In the mid-1980s, formerEagleDon Henley teamed up with Campbell, Tench and Lynch for his 1984 albumBuilding the Perfect Beast. Campbell wrote a demo version of the track "The Boys of Summer" and showed it to Petty, who both felt it did not fitSouthern Accents, the album they were working on at the time. Iovine suggested recording it with Henley, with whom they re-recorded it after Henley changed the key.[20] Henley collaborated with Campbell and Lynch for his 1989 albumThe End of the Innocence, with the two Heartbreakers producing it alongside the likes ofDanny Kortchmar andBruce Hornsby. Campbell again wrote one of the hits from the album, "The Heart of the Matter".
In 1986,Bob Dylan wrote and recorded the track "Band of the Hand" as the theme song for thePaul Michael Glaserfilm of the same title. On the recording, Dylan is backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with a group of backing singers including Stevie Nicks, and the track is credited to "Bob Dylan and the Heartbreakers".
Stan Lynch went on to produce Henley's 2000 albumInside Job and 2015 albumCass County. He also contributed to the Eagles' 1994 reunion album,Hell Freezes Over, playing percussion and having a hand in its production.[21]
Lynch and Campbell played alongside Henley onWarren Zevon's 1987 albumSentimental Hygiene.
Mike Campbell played slide guitar on "6th Avenue Heartache", released in 1996 bythe Wallflowers. He recorded his guitar part without even meeting the band.
In the mid-1990s, members of the Heartbreakers teamed up to perform onJohnny Cash'sAmerican Recordings series of albums. The entire band played onUnchained, save for Lynch, who had left in 1994. ForVolume III, only Campbell and Petty contributed, the latter performing a duet with Cash on a cover of "I Won't Back Down". Tench and Campbell then contributed toVolume IV,Volume V, andVolume VI. In March 2014, Cash's son had hinted that four or five more American albums may be released.[22]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(May 2016) |
.jpg)
Petty released three solo albums. The first was 1989'sFull Moon Fever, which included his signature tune, "Free Fallin'", as well as "I Won't Back Down", later covered byJohnny Cash, "Runnin' Down a Dream" andGene Clark'sByrds classic "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better".
The Heartbreakers were dismayed by Petty's decision to go solo. Nevertheless,Campbell played guitar solos on every track,Tench contributed piano to one track, andEpstein provided backing vocals to two tracks.
Petty's second solo album,Wildflowers, included all Heartbreakers members except for Stan Lynch. The album, which featuredSteve Ferrone on drums, produced the single "You Don't Know How It Feels".
Petty's final solo album wasHighway Companion. As withFull Moon Fever, it was produced byJeff Lynne. Campbell was the lead guitarist for the album, but no other Heartbreaker participated in the recording, as all instruments and vocals were performed by Petty, Campbell, and Lynne.
Petty fought against his record company on more than one occasion: first in 1979 over transference to another label,[34] and then again in 1981 over the price of his record, which was (at that time) considered expensive.[35] He was also outspoken on the current state of the music industry and modern radio stations, a topic that was a center concept of the lyrics of his 2002 albumThe Last DJ and its respective limited edition DVD.[36]
In an interview withBillboard magazine, Petty described himself as "not really [being] involved in the business side of music".
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |