Tom Petty | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Petty performing in Denmark in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas Earl Petty |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | (1950-10-20)October 20, 1950 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 2017(2017-10-02) (aged 66) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Discography | Tom Petty discography |
| Years active | 1967–2017 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | tompetty |
| Signature | |
 | |
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bandsTom Petty and the Heartbreakers andMudcrutch and a member of the late 1980ssupergroup theTraveling 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 thebest-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 theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored asMusiCares 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 ofLucky Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy seriesKing of the Hill from 2004 to the show's conclusion in 2009.[2]
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.[3][4]
Petty was born on October 20, 1950, inGainesville, Florida, the first of two sons of Kitty Petty (née Avery), a local tax office worker, and Earl Petty, a traveling salesman.[5][6][7] His brother, Bruce, was seven years younger.[5]
Petty grew up in theNortheast 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.[8]
Petty attended Howard Bishop Middle School, where he played Little League baseball and basketball. He then attendedGainesville High School, where he graduated in 1968.[9]
Petty's interest inrock and roll music began at age ten when he had an opportunity to meetElvis Presley.[10] In the summer of 1961, his uncle was working on the set of Presley's filmFollow That Dream, in nearbyOcala, and invited Petty to watch the movie's filming.[11]
Petty instantly became a Presley fan. When he returned that Saturday, he was greeted by his friend Keith Harben, and soon traded hisWham-O slingshot for a collection of Elvis45s.[12] Of that meeting with Presley, Petty said, "Elvis glowed."[13]
In 2006, Petty said he knew he wanted to be in a band the moment he saw theBeatles onThe Ed Sullivan Show.[14] "The minute I saw the Beatles on theEd 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."[15][6] He later said that theRolling Stones inspired him by demonstrating that he and musicians like him could make it in rock and roll.[16]
Don Felder, a fellow Gainesville resident who later joined theEagles, wrote in his autobiography that he was one of Petty's first guitar teachers[17][18] although Petty said that Felder taught him to play piano instead.[19]
As a young man, Petty worked briefly on the grounds crew of theUniversity of Florida, but never attended as a student. AnOgeechee 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.[20][21][19] He also worked briefly as a gravedigger.[19]
Shortly after embracing his musical aspirations, Petty started a band known as the Epics, which later evolved intoMudcrutch. The band included future HeartbreakersMike Campbell andBenmont Tench and was popular in Gainesville, but their recordings went unnoticed by a mainstream audience. They recorded atThe Church Studio inTulsa, Oklahoma. Their only single, "Depot Street", released in 1975 byShelter Records, failed to chart.[22]
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 andStan Lynch, forming the first lineup of the Heartbreakers. Theireponymous debut album gained little popularity among American audiences, achieving greater success in Britain[citation needed]. The singles "American Girl" and "Breakdown" (re-released in 1977) peaked at No. 40 after the band toured in the United Kingdom in support ofNils Lofgren. The debut album was released by Shelter Records, which at that time was distributed byABC Records.[23]
Their second album,You're Gonna Get It!, was the band's firstTop 40 album,[23] featuring the singles "I Need to Know" and "Listen to Her Heart". Their third album,Damn the Torpedoes, quickly wentplatinum, 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".[24]
In September 1979,Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed at aMusicians United for Safe Energy concert atMadison Square Garden inManhattan.[25] Their rendition of "Cry to Me" was featured on the resulting album,No Nukes.[26]
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" withStevie Nicks.[27]
Bass player Ron Blair quit the group and was replaced on the fifth album,Long After Dark (1982), byHowie Epstein; the resulting lineup lasted until 1994. The album contained the hit "You Got Lucky".
In 1985, the band participated inLive Aid, playing four songs atJohn F. Kennedy Stadium, inPhiladelphia 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 byDave Stewart. The song's video featured Petty dressed as theMad Hatter, mocking and chasing Alice from the bookAlice's Adventures in Wonderland, then cutting and eating her as if she were a cake. The ensuing tour led to the live albumPack Up the Plantation: Live! and an invitation fromBob Dylan to join Dylan on his 60-dateTrue Confessions Tour through Asia, Oceania, and North America.
In 1986 and 1987, they played some dates with theGrateful Dead. Also in 1987, the group releasedLet Me Up (I've Had Enough) which includes "Jammin' Me" which Petty wrote with Dylan.[28]
In 1988, Petty, along withGeorge Harrison,Bob Dylan,Roy Orbison andJeff Lynne, was a founding member of theTraveling 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 titledTraveling Wilburys Vol. 3 and recorded without the recently deceased Orbison, followed in 1990. The album was namedVol. 3 as a response to a series of bootlegged studio sessions being sold asTravelling 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.[29]
In 1989, Petty releasedFull 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 ofElectric 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).[30]
Petty and the Heartbreakers reformed in 1991 and releasedInto 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 featuringJohnny Depp andFaye Dunaway in the music video.[31]
Before leaving MCA Records, Petty and the Heartbreakers got together to record, live in the studio, two new songs for aGreatest Hits package: "Mary Jane's Last Dance" andThunderclap 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.[32]
In 1989, while still under contract to MCA, Petty secretly signed a lucrative deal withWarner Bros. Records, to which the Traveling Wilburys had been signed.[33] His first album on his new label, 1994'sWildflowers, Petty's second of three solo albums, included the highly beloved title track,[34] 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 byRick Rubin, sold over three million copies in the United States.[32]
In 1996, Petty, with the Heartbreakers, released a soundtrack to the movieShe's the One starringCameron Diaz andJennifer Aniston (seeSongs and Music from "She's the One"). The album's singles were "Walls (Circus)" featuringLindsey Buckingham, "Climb that Hill", and a song written byLucinda Williams, "Change the Locks". The album also included a cover of "Asshole", a song byBeck. The same year, the band accompaniedJohnny Cash onUnchained, provisionally titled "Petty Cash", for which Cash won aGrammy forBest Country Album. Cash later covered Petty's "I Won't Back Down" onAmerican III: Solitary Man.[35]
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.[36]
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played "I Won't Back Down" at theAmerica: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert for victims of theSeptember 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, andJim Keltner) at theConcert for George in honor of Petty's friend and former bandmate George Harrison.[37]
Petty's 2002 release,The Last DJ, was an album-length critique of practices within the music industry.[38] The title track, inspired by Los Angeles radio personalityJim Ladd, bemoaned the end of the freedom that radio DJs once had to personally select songs for their station's playlists.[38][39] The album peaked at number nine on theBillboard 200 album chart in the United States.[36]
In 2005, Petty began hosting his own show "Buried Treasure" onXM Satellite Radio, on which he shared selections from his personal record collection.[40]
In 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlined the fifth annualBonnaroo 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, andthe Black Crowes. Nicks joined Petty and the Heartbreakers on stage for several songs including "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".[41][42]
In July 2006, Petty released a solo album titledHighway Companion, which included the hit "Saving Grace". It debuted at number four on theBillboard 200, which was Petty's highest chart position since the introduction of theNielsen 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".[43]
During the summer of 2007, Petty reunited with his old bandmatesTom 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 (oniTunes, 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.[44]
In 2007, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers contributed a cover of "I'm Walkin'" to the albumGoin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. The album's sales helped buy instruments for students inNew Orleans public schools and contributed to the building of a community center in the city'sHurricane Katrina-damagedNinth Ward.[45]
On February 3, 2008, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed during the halftime-show ofSuper Bowl XLII at theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium. They played "American Girl", "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin" and "Runnin' Down a Dream".[46] That summer, the band toured North America withSteve Winwood as the opening act. Winwood joined Petty and the Heartbreakers on stage at select shows and performed hisSpencer Davis Group hit "Gimme Some Lovin'", and occasionally he performed hisBlind Faith hit "Can't Find My Way Home". In November 2009 the boxed setThe Live Anthology, a compilation of live recordings from 1978 to 2006, was released.
The band's twelfth albumMojo was released on June 15, 2010, and reached number two on theBillboard 200 album chart.[36] 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 theAllman Brothers—not the songs but the atmosphere of the band."[47] To promote the record, the band appeared as the musical guests onSaturday Night Live on May 17, 2010.[48] The release ofMojo 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 inCulver City, California in April 2010. The items were recovered by Los Angeles police the next week.[49]
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 ofNova Scotia andNewfoundland and Labrador.[50][51]
On July 28, 2014,Reprise Records released Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' thirteenth studio album,Hypnotic Eye. The album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200, becoming the band's first album to top the chart.[52] On November 20, 2015, the Tom Petty Radio channel debuted onSiriusXM.[53]
In 2017, the Heartbreakers embarked on a 40th Anniversary Tour of the United States.[54] The tour began on April 20 inOklahoma City and ended on September 25 with a performance at theHollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California.[54][55] The Hollywood Bowl concert, which would ultimately be the Heartbreakers' final show, ended with a performance of "American Girl".[56]
On September 28, 2018, Reprise Records releasedAn 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 theLong After Dark sessions.[57]
In 2024, he posthumously appeared on rapperSnoop Dogg's twentieth studio albumMissionary, on the track "Last Dance with Mary Jane", also featuring fellow singerJelly Roll.
Petty's first appearance in film took place in 1978, when he had a cameo inFM.[2] He later had a small part in 1987'sMade in Heaven and appeared in several episodes ofIt's Garry Shandling's Show between 1987 and 1990, playing himself as one ofGarry Shandling's neighbors.[2] Petty was also featured in Shandling's other show,The Larry Sanders Show, as one of thestory within a story final guests. In the episode, Petty gets bumped from the show and nearly comes to blows withGreg Kinnear.[58]
Petty appeared in the 1997 filmThe Postman, directed by and starringKevin Costner, as the Bridge City Mayor (from the dialogue it is implied that he is playing afuture history version of himself).[2] In 2002, he appeared onThe Simpsons in the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", along withMick Jagger,Keith Richards,Lenny Kravitz,Elvis Costello, andBrian Setzer. In it, Petty spoofed himself as a tutor toHomer 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 ofElroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy seriesKing of the Hill from 2004 to 2009.[2] In 2010, Petty made a five-secondcameo appearance with comedianAndy Samberg in a musical video titled "Great Day" featured on the bonus DVD as part ofThe Lonely Island's new albumTurtleneck & Chain.[60]
Petty was known as a staunch guardian of hisartistic control andartistic freedom. In 1979, he was involved in a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold toMCA 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 subsidiaryBackstreet Records.[61]
In early 1981, the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, which would becomeHard Promises, was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, followingSteely Dan'sGaucho and theOlivia Newton-John/Electric Light OrchestraXanadu 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 itEight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.[63]
In 1987, Petty sued tire companyB.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 disallowedGeorge W. Bush from using "I Won't Back Down" for his 2000 presidential campaign.[66] His family would do the same forDonald 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 theRed 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 toldRolling Stone, "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock 'n' roll songs sound alike. AskChuck 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 enoughfrivolous 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 fromSam 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 theASCAP 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]
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][73][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 inEncino, California. Firefighters were able to salvage the basement recording studio and the original tapes stored there, as well as hisGibson Dove acoustic guitar. His signature graytop 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.[81]
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.[76]
Petty spoke in 2014 of the benefits from his practice ofTranscendental Meditation.[84]
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 theUCLA Medical Center inSanta Monica, California, where he was put onlife support. He died at 8:40 p.m.PDT on October 2. There werepremature reports of his death throughout the day.[85][86][87][88][89]
A memorial service for Petty was held at theSelf-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine inPacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on October 16, 2017.[90]
On January 19, 2018, theLos 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",[91][92][93] a combination offentanyl,oxycodone,acetylfentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl (allopioids);temazepam andalprazolam (bothbenzodiazepines); andcitalopram (an antidepressant).[94] In a statement on his website, Petty's wife and daughter said he had a number of medical problems, includingemphysema, knee difficulties "and most significantly afractured 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."[95]
On September 23, 2018, Petty's widow Dana gave an interview toBillboard 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."[96]
Petty owned and used a number of guitars over the years. Petty was possibly nest known for his usage ofRickenbacker guitars, which he frequently played from 1979 onwards.[97] The Rickenbacker 660/12TP neck was designed by Petty and featured his signature from 1991 to 1997.[98] He also extensively played severalFender Telecasters[99][100][101] and aGuild D25 12-string acoustic.
Petty's later amplifier setup featured twoFender Vibro-King 60-watt combos.[102]
In October 1981, and again in September 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received thekeys to the city of Gainesville, Florida, where he and his bandmates either lived or grew up.[103]
In 1994,You Got Lucky, a Pettytribute album featuring such bands asEverclear andSilkworm was released.[104]
In April 1996, Petty receivedUCLA'sGeorge Gershwin andIra Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement.[105] The next month, Petty won theAmerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Golden Note Award.[105][106]
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, for their contribution to the recording industry.[107]
In December 2001, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame,[108] which further honored Petty with an exhibit of his items from July 2006 until 2007.[109]
He is ranked 91st onRolling Stone's list of theGreatest Artists of All Time.[110]
Petty received theBillboard Century Award, the organization's highest honor for creative achievement on December 6, 2005.[111][112]
Peter Bogdanovich's documentary film on Petty's career titledRunnin' Down a Dream premiered at theNew York Film Festival in October 2007.[113]
Petty was honored asMusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.[1]
A week after his death in 2017, a tribute to Petty was painted on Gainesville's Southwest34th Street Wall. It reads "Love you always, Gainesville No. 1 Son, Thanks, Tommy".[114]
Starting on October 7, 2017, five days after Petty's death,IWon't Back Down has been played at everyFlorida Gators football home game atBen Hill Griffin Stadium following the conclusion of the 3rd Quarter, afterWe Are The Boys From Old Florida is played by the band.[115]
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.[116]
In December 2021, the University of Florida board of trustees unanimously voted to posthumously award Petty with an honorary PhD from the school.[117]
He has three albums,Wildflowers (No. 214),[118]Damn the Torpedoes (No. 231),[119] andFull Moon Fever (No. 298)[120] onRolling Stone magazine's500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. He has two songs on the same magazine's500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. "American Girl" (No. 169),[121] and "Free Fallin'" (No. 219).[122]
In October 2022, the University of Florida'sPride of the Sunshine dedicated their halftime show to Tom Petty's music[123] as part of the university's inaugural Tom Petty Day.[124] 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 forGrand Theft Auto VI,[125] which is considered one of the most anticipated video games ever made.[126] This trailer gained over 90 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours.[127] 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 onSpotify, had almost 250,000 searches onShazam, and ranked second on the worldwideiTunes chart.[128]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | FM | Himself | |
| 1987 | Made in Heaven | Stanky | |
| 1996 | She's the One | — | Soundtrack |
| 1997 | The Postman | Bridge City Mayor | |
| 2007 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream | Himself | Music Documentary |
| 2013 | Sound City | Himself | Music Documentary |
| 2018 | Elvis Presley: The Searcher | Himself | Music Documentary |
| 2019 | Echo in the Canyon | Himself | Music Documentary |
| 2021 | Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free | Himself | Music Documentary |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979–2010 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (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) |
| 1987–89 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Himself | 4 episodes — "It's Gary Shandling's Christmas Show" (1987) — "No Baby, No Show" (1987) — "Vegas: Part 1" (1989) — "Vegas: Part 2" (1989) |
| 1989 | Biography | Himself (interviewee) | Episode: "Johnny Cash: The Man in Black" |
| 1994 | Tom Petty: Going Home | Himself | TV documentary |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Episode: "Flip" |
| 1999 | Behind the Music | Himself | Episode: "Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" |
| 2002 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice role) | Episode: "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" |
| 2004–09 | King of the Hill | Lucky (voice role) | recurring role (28 episodes) |
| 2008 | Super Bowl XLII | Himself | Halftime show Credited as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |
[T]here are plenty of other stars left to testify to TM's benefits, including Paul McCartney and Tom Petty.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)One of the most interesting salutes in 1994 was "You Got Lucky – A Tribute To Tom Petty"...
Among the evening's highlights was the presentation of the Golden Note Award to songwriter, artist, and producer Tom Petty.
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong presented Petty with the Billboard Century Award
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Compilations | |
| Songs and singles | |
| Related | |
