Tom Petty

Who was Tom Petty?

Tom Petty was a famous singer-songwriter best known as the frontman of the popular band ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. He became interested in music at the age of ten after a meeting with the legendary singer Elvis. He began his career with a group called the Mudcrutch. After the group’s disbandment, he proceeded to form the band which would eventually become known as ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. Their self-titled debut album was a success, becoming a hit in the UK, and later in the US as well. The band enjoyed continued success in the coming years. Petty also flourished as a solo artist and won several awards over the course of his career. With time, he became one of the world’s bestselling artists and was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’. He was also an occasional actor, having made his debut in the film ‘FM’. He played an important role in the epic adventure film ‘The Postman’ as well, which unfortunately was a commercial and critical disaster. He passed away in 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest following an accidental prescription drug overdose.

Career in Music

Tom Petty moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch to form the first lineup of the band ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. They released their self-titled album in November 1976 which became a hit in the UK, and eventually, the US. It reached the 24th position on the UK albums chart and the 55th on the US Charts. The song ‘American Girl’ from the album became one of their signature songs.

Their next album ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ was released in 1978 and became an average success. Their third album ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ was one of the band’s most successful albums. It was accredited 2x platinum in the US and 3x platinum in Canada.

The band continued to enjoy success with their next albums including ‘Hard Promises’ (1981), ‘Long After Dark’ (1982), ‘Southern Accents’ (1985) and ‘Let Me Up’ (1987). In 1986, they also embarked on a tour with Bob Dylan, performing on their own and also serving as Dylan’s backup band.

Tom Petty made his solo debut in 1989 with the album named ‘Full Moon Fever’. It was a critical and commercial success, peaking at the 3rd position on the US Billboard 200. Despite his solo success, he did not leave his band. In 1991, they released their eighth album ‘Into the Great Wide Open’, which was a critical and commercial success. In 1996, they released their ninth album ‘Songs and Music from the Motion Picture "She's the One."’

His second solo album ‘Wildflowers’ also became a commercial success. It was met with positive reviews as well. Over the next two decades, he released four other albums with his band, which included ‘Echo’ (1999), ‘The Last DJ’ (2002), and ‘Mojo’ (2010) and ‘Hypnotic Eyes’ (2014). He also released a solo album named ‘Highway Companion’ in 2006. It peaked at the 4th position on the Billboard 200 chart and was praised by the critics.