Tom Petty

About Tom Petty

Heartland rocker Tom Petty has used his raw voice and intelligent lyricism to create a complex career filled with iconic hit singles. More than just a Southern rocker, Petty's music often bends genre distinctions between punk, new wave and country. A Tom Petty's greatest hits disc is enough to make lesser musicians trade in their amps, and Petty's songs about young love and American isolation sound as timeless today as they did when they were first released. Straight up accessible anthems like "Free Fallin'" and "Runin' Down A Dream" rub shoulders with highly personal stories like "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Don't Come Around Here No More" and the music speaks to everyone, no matter where you live. Tom Petty is usually supported by his killer backing band, The Heartbreakers, though he has also put out several solo releases. Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, Tom Petty first became obsessed with music after meeting Elvis Presley on the set of his movie Follow That Dream. Tom Petty's family relationships were strained and he suffered emotional and physical abuse from his father, who didn't understand Petty's gentle nature and interest in the arts. In 1977, after gigging around under several different band names, Petty released the self-titled Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album. Though it's a fan favorite today, the album only met with moderate success at the time. However, the band's career picked up dramatically after that, and their subsequent releases You're Gonna Get It! and Damn the Torpedoes earned the band's reputation as purveyors of thoughtful riff-based rock n' roll. Tom Petty also secured a place in pop history with his creepy, trippy video for the song "Don't Come Around Here No More", which featured a manic Mad Hatter Petty chasing Alice from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and eventually carving her up and eating her like a cake. The video got heavy play on early MTV, traumatizing millions to this day. Tom Petty was also a member of the super-group The Traveling Wilbury's along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Roy Orbison.