Tom Petty Dead At 66

It seems like every week another rock legend is dying. And now Tom Petty has reportedly died from cardiac arrest at the age of 66.

Petty, who rose to fame in the mid-1970 had a long and prolific career.

Not only did he release three solo albums under his own name, he also released 13 albums with his band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

In the 1980’s Petty took an unlikely left turn and joined the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.

And if you don’t have a favorite Tom Petty song, you’ve either never heard “American Girl,” “Free Fallin’,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” or “Breakdown…or you simply don’t care about rock-n-roll.

In 2002, his band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and they deserved to be.

Tom Petty’s voice, seasoned by a lifetime of smoking that probably brought him down…was truly American one and his music will stand for generations.

Petty performed what would be his final show last Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl, the final of three sold-out shows that concluded the Heartbreakers’ 40th anniversary tour.

Tom Petty (1950 – 2017)

 

Damn the Torpedos album image credit: MCA Records