On this day (October 20) in 1950, Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida. He began dreaming of rock stardom after first seeing the Beatles on TV. He and his band, the Heartbreakers, released several songs that became classics during their four-decade run. Petty also had a successful recording career as a solo artist. In the late 1980s, he formed the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne.
Petty was 10 years old when he discovered his passion for music. His uncle was working on the set of Follow That Dream, starring Elvis Presley. He took Petty to the set one afternoon to meet the King. Soon, his collection of Elvis records and his love of music were growing rapidly. Then, he saw the Beatles on TV.
“The minute I saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show–and it’s true for thousands of guys–there was the way out,” Petty said during an interview with NPR. “You get your friends together, and you’re a self-contained unit. You make the music. It looked like so much fun,” he recalled.
Petty’s first band, the Epics, included Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, who would be with him for the rest of his life. The Epics became Mudcrutch, and they landed a record deal, but didn’t find success. Soon, they split, and Petty went solo. Tench started another band with Stan Lynch and Ron Blair. Before long, Petty and Campbell joined, and the original lineup of the Heartbreakers was formed.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their self-titled debut album in November 1976. It wasn’t a major hit, but it did contain some classic songs. For instance, “American Girl,” “Breakdown,” and “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” came from that record.
The band’s 1979 album, Damn the Torpedos, contained “Don’t Do Me Like That,” which became their only top 10 hit on the Hot 100. It also introduced the classic rock staple “Refugee.”
The band released 13 albums together, including the soundtrack from She’s the One. The final album, Hypnotic Eye, was released in 2014.
Solo and Traveling Wilburys
The Traveling Wilburys was one of the biggest supergroups in rock history. Like many bands, it came together naturally. George Harrison was working on his album Cloud Nine when he and producer Jeff Lynne started talking about forming a band. While discussing the lineup, Harrison suggested Bob Dylan, and Lynne chose Roy Orbison. Additionally, they had both bonded with Tom Petty while his band was backing Dylan on his 1987 European tour.
Later, Lynn worked with Petty on his debut album Full Moon Fever. He was also writing songs for Orbison’s comeback album Mystery Girl. The web of creative projects pulled the group together. They released their debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, in October 1988. The second album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, was released in October 1990, after Orbison’s death.
In April 1989, Tom Petty released his debut solo album Full Moon Fever. It contained a collection of classics, including “I Won’t Back Down,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” and “Free Fallin’,” Petty’s sole Hot 100 top 10.
Two years later, he released Wildflowers. The album introduced “You Don’t Know How It Feels” and “You Wreck Me.”
Petty released his final solo album, Highway Companion, in 2006.
“Music really isn’t supposed to be perfect,” Petty once said. “It’s all about people relating to each other and doing something that’s really from the soul. It must come from the soul.”
Featured Image by Jeff Gentner/Getty Images
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Author: Clayton Edwards