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Tom Petty Dies at 66

Kind of a treat to myself. “Actually, no, I take that back”, he said, laughing, before adding, “But it is safer than alcohol”.

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“I loved Tom Petty and I covered his songs because I wanted know what it felt like to fly”.

The band was just a few people bringing a little joy to our lives through living out something they loved. Variety’s review accentuates Petty’s typically relaxed, active self, noting nothing peculiar in the singer’s energetic and impassioned performance. He spoke of that tour being his last, but I didn’t believe it. “Tom Petty? That’s what you’re buying? Costello’s good, but I wouldn’t call him Elvis”.

WASHINGTON-Iconic rock artist Tom Petty died Monday night at 66, according to his publicist. He could’ve laughed in my face. “I think this death will be a shot to the future of the music”. But I was also disappointed in him. And along with him, the Heartbreakers are one of the best rock bands, far too underrated.

“When my father got home…he came in, took a belt and beat the living shit out of me”.

Kristian Bush: Thank you Tom Petty for making music.

Also in the Bogdanovich documentary, I learned that Petty’s Long After Dark album is considered by several band members to be his worst. I’ve listened to nearly every album, and like Motörhead, ZZ Top, or AC/DC, each one has at least four or five songs that are flat-out great, and a bunch of others that are just better than most everything else out there.

Petty leaves behind a legacy that has inspired countless other musicians. Petty, whose worldwide sales topped 80 million records, was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2002. I’m a writer who largely focuses on pop culture here. It’s my favorite Petty record, though.

But where to begin? Love to all those aching hearts out there tonite, the music’s always there to help mend y’all one sing along at a time. “Vegas and now a great music hero has passed”. Songwriting, melody, approach, distinct sound? In the early 1980s, he was again at war with MCA, this time over the label’s plans to charge extra money, a dollar higher than the standard $8.98, for his album “Hard Promises”. Petty protested the price hike and the issue became well-known among his fans. Stick it to the man.

Within 24 hours of the news breaking, he had 15 albums jump into the top 100 – six of them in the top 15.

Petty once said, “I’d like to see us break some new ground and leave some sort of mark on the music”. The band’s biggest hits included I Won’t Back Down and American Girl. Some lyrics reflect our feelings and experiences.

Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench told Rolling Stone “when we get together we tend to do a lot of Chicago-style blues songs”. They make us feel something.

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“We are deeply saddened at the passing of Tom Petty”.

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