Tom Petty - Did You Know?

April 22, 2018

Music facts, music trivia, interesting stories and much more. Introducing the "Did You Know" page about American singer and songwriter, Tom Petty.

Enjoy!

 

 

Tom Petty was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor and record producer. Petty was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, that was formed in 1976. He also led the band Mudcrutch and was the co-founder of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, from the late 1980s.

Tom Petty's love of rock 'n' roll began officiallly when he was only 11 years old, in the summer of 1961 when he met none other than the king himself, Elvis Presley. Right after that meeting, Tom Petty started listening obsessively to Elvis Presley's records.

Tom Petty later said, that this was what kicked off his love of music and that he had never thought much about rock 'n' roll until that moment. At the age of 17, Tom Petty decided to drop out of high school, in order to join the southern rock group Mudcrutch, which was his first band.

Tom Petty recorded a number of hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as well as a solo artist. He has sold over 80 million records all over the world during his music career, which makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2002, Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sadly, Tom Petty died on October 2, 2017 due to an accidental overdose of prescription pain medication.

 

 

Before recording Full Moon Fever, an arsonist burned down Tom Petty's house while he, his family and their housekeeper were all inside. They were able to escape and spent much of the next few months driving between hotel rooms and a rented house, but this incident got to Tom Petty as he was badly shaken.

Petty's song "I Won't Back Down" was his way of reclaiming his life and getting past the incident and the torment. Tom Petty said that writing and recording this song had a calming effect on him.

The arsonist was never caught.

 

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