I want to tip my hat to Tom Petty and his unrelenting rise up towards the coveted Rock Stardom summit.
In gathering up his albums for a group pix for this Blog, I never realised I had so many of his albums.
I’ve always equated Tom Petty’s Music as Quality Music. I guess whenever his album was released, I made sure I acquired a copy of it.
My Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers CD Album Stash (above image).
He’s come a long way in music and composition maturity since his teenage musicianship in Gainsville, Florida.
To me, his crossroad as a respected, perhaps an elder statesman of rock was when he collaborated with Rick Rubin for his solo Wallflowers album. It was an album he had to do, on his own, along his creative journey.
His impressive and humble climb up the rock echelon was when he was invited to be in the most super of supergroups, the Traveling Wilburys comprising of Tom’s music heroes – George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne (of ELO).
Unfortunately Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne are the only surviving members of Traveling Wilburys.
I started my journey with Tom’s “Damn The Torpedoes” album. Then out of curiosity, I bought his back catalog. And his new stuff, reaching a high with his Jeff Lynne-produced albums. Tom also re-grouped his teenage band Mudcrutch and delivered two world-class albums.
Tom Petty sadly left us on 12 October 2017, aged 66. He was suffering excruciating pain from his hip injuries and took an excessive amount of painkillers, which proved to be heart-stopping. He passed on a week after the end of the Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary Tour. He did what he did best, till the very end.
Like Bruce Springsteen with his E Street Band, Tom had his formidable and tight band, the Heartbreakers (previous and present) – comprising Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Howard Epstein, Ron Blair, Stan Lynch, Scott Thurston and Steve Ferrone. The Heartbreakers were so tight and fun that even Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac wanted to be a band member.
My all-time favourable Tom Petty and the Heartbeakers song is their live rendition of the iconic James Bond theme song, “Goldfinger”, found on the Live Anthology album set. They were so awesome in doing covers of other artists’ songs.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, on their first year of eligibility.
Respect & R.I.P., Tom Petty!
