Tom Petty Thomas Earl (Tom) Petty was born October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida. Petty has gained notoriety as one of the most enduring American singer/songwriters, and has been accompanied by his band The Heartbreakers for many of his musical productions. Petty, however, has released three solo endeavors, including his most recent album Highway Companion (2006). Petty grew up in northeast Gainesville, but harbored no real musical aspirations until Elvis Presley visited the nearby city of Ocala, Florida to shoot the film Follow that Dream (1962). Petty names this moment as his true inspiration to pursue music. Playing with various friends, Petty began practicing music on an amateur level in his childhood home. In 1976, Petty began recording his first album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Although it took a year for the album to catch on, it eventually became a success in 1977. The single Breakdown was re-released and almost immediately hit the Top 40. In 1978, Petty and the Heartbreakers released their next album You’re Gonna Get It! Solidifying the band’s talent, the album went gold (selling 500,000 units) and featured the singles Listen to her Heart and I Need to Know. Following on this success, Petty became embroiled in a legal battle for the next nine months. His recording label ABC Records was sold to MCA Records, but Petty refused to be sold to this new company without his express consent. The dispute was eventually settled, but Petty emerged a bankrupted man.
Fortunately, in 1979 the band released their next album Damn the Torpedoes, which went an astounding triple-platinum. This album also contained his first US hit (Refugee). Previously, the band found acclaim mostly through the English rock scene. Just two years later, Petty ran into legal trouble yet again with MCA Records. They wanted to sell his new album Hard Promises at the price of $9.98 (which, believe it or not, was considered high at the time). Petty refused to condone any sales unless they were $8.98. He even threatened to rename his album The $8.98 Album and withhold the album from MCA. Petty went so far as to organize a fan protest, which eventually forced MCA to release the album at Petty’s desired price. Hard Promises went platinum and landed itself in the Top Ten. In 1982, Petty released another album Long After Dark, but after the fame and turmoil of the previous five years, he decided to take a much-needed break. Petty returned in 1985 with Southern Accents but was quickly met yet again by controversy. In a video that mocked Alice and Wonderland, Petty (dressed as the Mad Hatter) cut and ate Alice as if she were a piece of cake. Feminists groups were none too pleased. Eventually the negative press died down, and neither Petty nor his band suffered any long-lasting ill effects. Petty and the Heartbreakers were then extended the honor of accompanying Bob Dylan on his worldwide True Confessions tour. By 1989, Petty finally released his solo album entitled Full Moon Fever. While marketed and widely named a solo album, several members of the Heartbreakers and other well-known musicians participated in the production. The album went triple platinum and hung onto the Billboard Top Ten chart for over 34 weeks. The album contained some of Petty’s most famous songs including I Won’t Back Down and Free Fallin’.
Petty is also known for his work with the all-star group The Traveling Wilburys whose members included Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison (until his sudden death) and George Harrison. Petty teamed up again with the Heartbreakers to release seven more albums, including both compilations and originals. Petty has released three solo albums over his career and has been nominated for 16 Grammies. In 2002, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Other notable accomplishments for Petty include an acting career which has landed him roles in Kevin Costner’s The Postman and a recurring role on the animated series King of the Hill. Petty was married to Jane Benyo from 1974 to 1996 when the two divorced. He later married Dana York in 2001, and the couple is currently still together. He has two daughters, Adria and Anna Kim. |
