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Thomas Earl Petty (born October 20, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a member of Mudcrutch. He was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys under the pseudonym of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr.
He has recorded a number of hit singles with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, many of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio. Likewise, his music, most notably his hits, have become increasingly popular among younger generations as he continues to host sold out shows in his recent tour dates.
Petty and his band The Heartbreakers have been together since 1976 and celebrated their thirtieth anniversary with a tour in 2006.
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Quotations
Cause it can feel like perfection, but never all the time. But you dont wanna be alone again.
Ain't Love Strange
And I don't want to mean anything to you, I don't want to tempt you to be true.
Echo
And I don't want to question or even celebrate all the joy you took and then gave back too late.
Echo
And no I can't find no reason to explain the way that I feel. I remember things being more clearer, at one time things were more real.
All Mixed Up
As we celebrate mediocrity, all the boys upstairs want to see how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free.
The Last DJ
But if you shoot at everyone you see, can't be my friend 'cause you might shoot at me.
When a Kid Goes Bad
Encyclopedia
Thomas Earl Petty (born October 20, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a member of Mudcrutch. He was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys under the pseudonym of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr.
He has recorded a number of hit singles with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, many of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio. Likewise, his music, most notably his hits, have become increasingly popular among younger generations as he continues to host sold out shows in his recent tour dates.
Petty and his band The Heartbreakers have been together since 1976 and celebrated their thirtieth anniversary with a tour in 2006. Although Tom has occasionally released solo work, as is the case with 2006's Highway Companion, on which he performed most of the backing instrumentation himself. However, members of The Heartbreakers have played on each of his solo albums and the band has always backed him when touring in support of those albums. He has also toured with Mudcrutch in order to promote their debut album. Petty has been managed by Tony Dimitriades since 1976. On February 3, 2008, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed at the Super Bowl XLII Halftime show.
Early life
Tom Petty was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, USA and attended Gainesville High School. His interest in rock and roll music began at age 10 when he met Elvis Presley. In the summer of 1961, his uncle was working on the set of Presley's film Follow That Dream in nearby Ocala, Florida and invited Petty to come down and watch the shoot. He instantly became an Elvis Presley fan and soon traded his Wham-O slingshot for a box of Elvis 45s. In a 2006 interview on the National Public Radio program Fresh Air, Petty said that he knew he wanted to be in a band the moment he saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. One of his first guitar teachers was Don Felder, a fellow Gainesville resident, who would later join The Eagles. As a young man, Petty worked briefly on the grounds crew for the University of Florida, but never attended as a student. An Ogeechee lime tree that he planted while employed at the University is now called the Tom Petty tree.
Petty also overcame a difficult relationship with his father, who found it hard to accept that his son was "a mild-mannered kid who was interested in the arts" and subjected him to verbal and physical abuse on a regular basis. Petty was extremely close to his mother, and remains close to his brother Bruce, whom he describes as "a prince".
Recording artist
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976–1987)
After working with his early bands -The Sundowners, The Epics and Mudcrutch (the third with drummer Randall Marsh, and future Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench) he began his recording career with the Heartbreakers (Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, Stan Lynch) with the self-titled Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the band's 1976 debut album, which was initially unpopular in the United States. The single "Breakdown" was re-released in 1977 and peaked at #40 in early 1978 after the band toured in the United Kingdom in support of Nils Lofgren. The debut album was released by Shelter Records, which at that time was distributed by ABC Records.
Their second album, You're Gonna Get It!, marked the band's first Top 40 album and featured the singles "I Need To Know" and "Listen To Her Heart". Their third album, Damn the Torpedoes, quickly went platinum, selling nearly two million copies; it includes their breakthrough singles "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Refugee."
In September 1979, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed at a Musicians United for Safe Energy concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. Their rendition of "Cry To Me" was featured on the resulting No Nukes album.
1981's Hard Promises became a top-ten hit, going platinum and spawning the hit single "The Waiting." The album also featured Petty's first duet, "Insider" with Stevie Nicks.
Bass player Ron Blair quit the group, and was replaced on the fifth album (1982's Long After Dark) by Howie Epstein; the resulting line-up would last until 1994. In 1985, the band participated in Live Aid, playing four songs at Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium. Southern Accents was also released in 1985. This album included the hit single "Don't Come Around Here No More," which was produced by Dave Stewart. The song's video featured Petty dressed as the Mad Hatter, mocking and chasing Alice from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, then cutting and eating her as if she were a cake. It was criticized by feminist groups. The ensuing tour led to the live album Pack Up the Plantation: Live! and to an invitation from Bob Dylan; Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers joined him on his True Confessions tour and also played some dates with the Grateful Dead in 1986 and 1987. Also in 1987, the group released Let Me Up (I've Had Enough). It includes "Jammin' Me," which Petty wrote with Dylan.
Traveling Wilburys, solo career, and "return" to the Heartbreakers (1988–1991)
In 1988, Petty became a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys, along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. 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, incongruously titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 and recorded without the recently deceased Orbison, followed in 1990. The album was named Vol. 3 as a response to a series of bootlegged studio sessions being sold as Travelling Wilburys Vol. 2. In recent years, Petty has begun to incorporate Travelling Wilburys songs into his live shows, consistently playing "Handle Me With Care" in shows from 2003-2006, and for his 2008 tour making "End of the Line" a staple of the setlist.
In 1989, Petty released Full 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 of Electric 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). Since all the original Traveling Wilburys except Bob Dylan participated on the album, it is sometimes considered the unofficial second Wilbury record.
Petty & the Heartbreakers "rejoined" in 1991 released, Into the Great Wide Open. It was co-produced by Lynne and included the hit singles "Learning To Fly" and "Into The Great Wide Open", the latter featuring Johnny Depp, Gabrielle Anwar, Faye Dunaway, and Matt LeBlanc in the video.
Before leaving MCA Records, Tom and the Heartbreakers got together to record, live in the studio, two new songs for a "Greatest Hits" package. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air". This was Stan Lynch's last recorded performance with The Heartbreakers. Tom 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.
Move to Warner Bros. Records (1991–present)
In 1989, while still under contract to MCA, Petty secretly signed a lucrative deal with Warner Bros. Records. His first album on his new label, 1994's Wildflowers (Petty's 2nd of 3 solo albums), included 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 by Rick Rubin, sold approximately 2.5 million copies in the U.S.
In 1996, Petty, with the Heartbreakers, released a soundtrack to the movie She's the One, starring Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston (see Songs and Music from "She's the One"). The album's singles were "Walls (Circus)" (featuring Lindsey Buckingham), "Climb that Hill" and a song written by Lucinda Williams, "Change the Locks." The album also included a cover of "Asshole," a song by Beck. The same year, the band accompanied Johnny Cash on Unchained, for which Cash would win a Grammy for Best Country Album (Cash would later cover Petty's "I Won't Back Down" on American III: Solitary Man).
In 1999, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their last album with Rubin at the helm, Echo. Two songs were released as singles in the U.S., "Room at the Top" and "Free Girl Now". The album reached number 10 in the U.S. album charts.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played "I Won't Back Down" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert for victims of the September 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, and Jim Keltner) at the Concert for George in honor of Petty's friend and former bandmate George Harrison.
2002's The Last DJ included several attacks on the music industry, criticizing it for greed, watering down music, and releasing pop music made by scantily-clad young women and reached number 9 on the U.S. charts. Tom has commented though that he didn't like being called "bitter" by the media and that The Last DJ is full of hope, if you look for it.
In 2005, Tom Petty began hosting his own show "Buried Treasure" on XM Radio, on which he shares selections from his personal record collection.
In February 2006, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers agreed to be the headline act at the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Following that announcement came the itinerary for Tom & the Heartbreakers' "30th Anniversary Tour". Special guests included Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, Trey Anastasio, The Allman Brothers, Trey Anastasio, The Derek Trucks Band, and The Black Crowes (who also opened for Petty on their 2005 Summer Tour). Stevie Nicks would join Tom and the Heartbreakers on stage for renditions of "Stop Draggin' my Heart Around" and "Insider," and "I Need to Know" where Nicks took the lead vocal spot. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam also joined Tom and the Heartbreakers on stage at some shows where Vedder sang the lead on "The Waiting" (which is available on the "Runnin Down a Dream" package: bonus features) and a verse in the concert-closer "American Girl."
In July 2006, Petty released a new solo album titled "Highway Companion", which included the hit "Saving Grace". It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard charts, becoming Petty's highest chart position since the introduction of the Nielsen SoundScan system for tracking album sales in 1991. "Highway Companion" was briefly promoted on the "30th Anniversary Tour" with the Heartbreakers in 2006 with performances of "Saving Grace," "Square One," "Down South," and "Flirting with Time".
In 2006, the American Broadcasting Company hired Petty to do the music for its National Basketball Association playoffs coverage.
During the summer of 2007, Tom Petty reunited with his old bandmates Tom Leadon and Randall Marsh along with Heartbreakers Benmont Tench & Mike Campbell to reform his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch. The band originally formed in 1967 in Gainesville, Florida before relocating to California where they released one single in 1974 before breaking up. The quintet recorded this self titled new album of fourteen songs that was released on April 29, 2008 (on iTunes, 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.
In 2007, artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz and Paul McCartney paid tribute to Fats Domino on the double-CD covers set Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. The album's sales helped buy instruments for students in New Orleans public schools and they contributed to the building of a community center in the city’s Hurricane Katrina-damaged Ninth Ward. Tom and the Heartbreakers’ contributed a critically acclaimed cover of “I’m Walkin’" to the package.
In January 2008, it was announced that the band would be embarking on a North American Tour which set to start on May 30 following the appearance at Super Bowl XLII..Steve Winwood served as the opening act, who joined Petty and the Heartbreakers on stage at select shows, starting on June 6, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA. Winwood's Spencer Davis Group hit "Gimme Some Lovin'" was performed and occasionally his Blind Faith hit "Can't Find my way Home" was performed before it.
On February 3, 2008, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers performed during the halftime-show of Super Bowl XLII (Super Bowl 42) at the University of Phoenix Stadium. During the halftime-show they played "American Girl," "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'," and "Runnin' Down a Dream," in that order. 'I Won't Back Down' was used in the closing credits of the coverage on BBC2.
Acting
Tom Petty's first appearance in film took place in 1978, when he had a cameo in FM. He later had a small part in 1987's Made In Heaven, and appeared in several episodes of It's Garry Shandling's Show between 1987 and 1990, playing himself as one of Garry Shandling's neighbors. Petty was also featured in Shandling's other show, The Larry Sanders Show, as one of the show-within-the-show's final guests. In the episode, Petty gets bumped from the show and nearly comes to blows with Greg Kinnear. Petty also appeared as The Bridge City Mayor (and from the dialogue it's implied that he is playing a future version of himself) in the 1997 movie, The Postman, directed by and starring Kevin Costner.
In 2002, he appeared on The Simpsons in the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation". In it, he spoofed himself as a "tutor" to Homer 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.
Petty currently has a recurring role as the voice of Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt in the animated show King of the Hill.
In 2008, Petty made a guest appearance as himself in the Comedy Central show Lil Bush's season 2 finale. He is asked to write a song for Bush and his cronies. At the end, he is shown riding off into the sunset in a flying car alongside Iggy Pop, who is a regular voice actor on the series. Petty thus joined various musical guest stars on the show, including Iggy, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, and Anthony Kiedis and Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Honors
Petty has been honored with 19 Grammy Award nominations. His most recent win was for the Peter Bogdanovitch documentary, Runnin' Down a dream at the 2009 Grammy Awards for "Best Long Form Music Video."
In 1982 he received his first nomination for "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (a duet with Stevie Nicks) in the category of Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal.
As a member of the Traveling Wilburys, he earned a Grammy Award in 1989 for Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal for Traveling Wilburys Volume One.
In 1995, he received another Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "You Don't Know How It Feels" and engineers David Bianco, Jim Scott, Richard Dodd and Stephen McLaughlin won the Grammy for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for Wildflowers, which also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album.
Other Wildflowers achievements included Best Male Video Award for "You Don't Know How It Feels" at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers won the same award in 1994 with the video for "Mary Jane's Last Dance". At the 1994 ceremony, Petty was also presented with the Video Vanguard Award, citing his longtime contributions to the field. In accepting the award though, Petty denied his work was any more important than anyone else's, saying that all artistic expression was equally valid.
In 1994, You Got Lucky, a Tom Petty tribute album featuring such bands as Everclear and Silkworm was released.
In April 1996, Petty received the UCLA's George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement. The next month, Petty won the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Golden Note Award.
In 1999 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to the recording industry.
In 2002, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On December 6, 2005, Petty received the Billboard Century Award for his lifetime achievements. The same year, Conversations with Tom Petty, an oral history/biography composed of interviews conducted in 2004 and 2005 with Petty by music journalist Paul Zollo, was published (ISBN 1-84449-815-8).
On September 21, 2006, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received the keys to the city of Gainesville, Florida, where he and his bandmates either lived or grew up. From July 2006 until 2007 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio featured an exhibit of Tom Petty items. Much of the content was donated by Petty himself during a visit to his home by some of the Hall's curatorial staff.
Peter Bogdanovich's documentary film on Petty's career entitled Runnin' Down A Dream premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 14, 2007, .
On February 3, 2008 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played during the Super Bowl XLII halftime show.
Views on artistic control
Petty is known as a staunch guardian of his creative control and artistic freedom. In 1979, he was dragged into a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to MCA 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 subsidiary Backstreet Records.
In early 1981, the upcoming Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, which would become Hard Promises, was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following Steely Dan's Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu soundtrack. This so-called "superstar pricing" was $1.00 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 and naming it Eight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.
In 1987, Petty sued tire company B.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. A judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting further use of the ad and the suit was later settled out of court.
Some have claimed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers single "Dani California", released in May 2006, is very similar to Petty's Mary Jane's Last Dance. Petty told Rolling Stone, "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock 'n' roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck 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 enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs."
Personal life
His first marriage, to Jane Benyo, lasted 22 years. He spent most of those years working, on the road or in the studio. He has two daughters, director Adria and artist AnnaKim Violette, by that marriage. Since 2001 he has been married to Dana York, whom he first met years earlier when she came to one of his concerts.
In 1987, an arsonist set fire to Petty's house in Encino, California. The fire caused $1 million in damage but firefighters were able to salvage the basement recording studio and the original tapes stored there, as well as his Gibson Dove acoustic guitar. Petty later rebuilt the house.
Equipment
Tom Petty owns and has used a number of guitars over the years. From 1976-1982, his main instrument was a sunburst 1963 Fender Stratocaster. During the 2006 Highway Companion tour, Tom pulled the old workhorse out for a few songs. He has also used a number of Rickenbacker guitars from 1979 onwards, notably the Rose Morris 1993 and 1997 models and the 360/12 and 660/12 models. The Rickenbacker 660/12 was designed by Petty (specifically the neck) and featured his signature from 1991-1998. Petty has also used various Gibson Flying Vs, Gibson Firebirds, Fender Telecasters, Gibson SGs, a Vox Mark III and a number of different Gretsch guitars. For acoustic guitars, Petty has had a signature C.F. Martin HD-40, and has written virtually all of his songs on a Gibson Dove acoustic.
Petty currently uses a Vox AC-30 and Vox Super Beatle amp.
The Heartbreakers
| 1976–1982 |
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| 1982–1991 | Tom Petty - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonicaMike Campbell - lead guitarHowie Epstein - bass guitar, backing vocals, mandolinBenmont Tench - keyboards, backing vocalsStan Lynch - drums, percussion, backing vocals |
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| 1991–1994 | Tom Petty - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonicaMike Campbell - lead guitar, mandolinScott Thurston - rhythm guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, percussion, pianoHowie Epstein - bass guitar, backing vocalsBenmont Tench - keyboards, backing vocalsStan Lynch - drums, backing vocalsDave Grohl - drums (brief stint, including an SNL appearace) |
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| 1994–2002 | Tom Petty - lead vocals, rhythm guitarMike Campbell - lead guitar, mandolinScott Thurston - rhythm guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, pianoHowie Epstein - bass guitar, backing vocalsBenmont Tench - keyboards, backing vocalsSteve Ferrone - drums, percussion |
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| 2002–present | Tom Petty - lead vocals, rhythm guitarMike Campbell - lead guitar, mandolinScott Thurston - rhythm guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, pianoRon Blair - bass guitar, backing vocalsBenmont Tench - keyboards, backing vocalsSteve Ferrone - drums, percussion |
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Discography
See also
External links
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