Petty biography

Warren Zanes is the author of Petty: The Biography. He first met the singer in , when Zanes’ band, the Del Fuegos, opened for Petty and the Heartbreakers. 

[Find ‘Petty: The Biography’ Here]

I was standing in my kitchen when I heard about Tom Petty’s death. The message came from a friend who had worked at WBCN in Boston. WBCN — that’s where, at age 12, I heard Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ first single, “Breakdown.” Tell me this isn’t true. That was the message from my friend. I’m not sure how the constellations of thought come together, but they form quickly. Just that fast, I knew Tom Petty had died. And then the street outside my window looked different.

I’d thought about what this day might be like. Petty had been in the room with me (and so many of us) for more than 40 years. I could chart my life in relation to his releases. Early on, around the time of the first albums, I had the feeling that Petty was giving me better direction than the adults who came and went, mostly went, in my life. Even the losers. That alone helped.

Tom Petty was a long-term relationship well before I met him, well before I stood up there as a guitar player in a Heartbreakers opening act, well before he approached me about writing his biography. But in and , the air stunk of rock & roll deaths. Prince, David Bowie, Chuck Berry, Gregg Allman, Glen Campbell. It was hard not to look at Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and, yes, even Petty . . . wondering when. But in Petty’s case, whenever I considered the possibility, I shook it off, sure it was just the mind’s play. Jerry Lee Lewis alive and Tom Petty dead? That made no sense.

Two years before news of his death came to me in my kitchen, in the week Petty: The Biography was published, a woman at a bookstore event in New Hampshire asked what I t

American rock musician (–)

Musical artist

Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, &#;&#; October 2, ) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late s supergroup the Traveling 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 the best-selling artists of all time. His hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "American Girl" (), "Don't Do Me Like That" (), "Refugee" (), "The Waiting" (), "Don't Come Around Here No More" () and "Learning to Fly" (). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (), "Free Fallin'" (), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" ().

Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy. He also acted; he had a recurring role as the voice of Lucky Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy series King of the Hill from to the show's conclusion in

Petty died of an accidental drug overdose in at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour.

Early life and education

Petty was born on October 20, , in Gainesville, Florida, the first of two sons of Kitty Petty (née Avery), a local tax office worker, and Earl Petty, a traveling salesman. His brother, Bruce, was seven years younger.

Petty grew up in the Northeast 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.

Petty attended Howard Bishop Middle School, where he played Little League baseball and basketball. He then attended Gainesville High

American racing driver (born )

For the former president & C.E.O. of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, see Richard Peddie. For the psychology professor, see Richard E. Petty.

NASCAR driver

Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, ), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from to in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably driving th