Comprehensive information and links about Tom Petty

Tom Petty (born October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, FloridaTom Petty is an American musician. Petty is a graduate of Gainesville High School. Petty did not have any musical aspirations before Elvis Presley visited his hometown. After working with his early bands The Sundowners, The Epics, and Mudcrutch (which also included future Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench) he began his recording career with when the band broke onto the national music scene with their 1976 self-titled debut album. Still, it took America a full year to catch up to the album. "Breakdown" was re-released to radio and became a Top 40 hit in 1977 after word filtered back the band was creating a firestorm in England.

Their 1978 second album proved the debut album's intensity was no fluke. Marking the band's first gold album, it features the singles "Listen To Her Heart" and "I Need To Know". Shortly after its release the band was dragged into a legal dispute when ABC Records, Shelter's mother company, was sold to MCA Records. Petty refused to be simply transferred to another record label without his consent. He held fast to his principles for a long nine months, which eventually led to him filing for bankruptcy.

After the dispute was settled, Tom Petty (1982) bass player Ron Blair was replaced by Howie Epstein, giving The Heartbreakers their final line-up. However, Petty had problems coping with the stress and success and decided to slow things down.

On their come-back album The Heartbreakers picked up where they had left off. The recording was not without problems — Petty became frustrated during the mixing process and broke his left hand after punching through a wall. The album includes the hit single "Don't Come Around Here No More" which was produced by Dave Stewart. The video for the single, featuring Tom dressed as the Mad Hatter mocking and chasing Alice from the book Alice in Wonderland, caused some controversy after it was criticised by feminist groups.

A successful concert tour led to the live album the Heartbreakers to join him on his True Confessions tour through the US, Australia, Japan (1986) and Europe (1987).

Also in 1987, the group released , a studio album made to sound like a live recording using a technique they borrowed from Bob Dylan. It includes "Jammin' Me", which Petty wrote with Dylan.

Petty also appeared in several episodes of (1987 - 1990), playing himself as one of Garry Shandling's neighbors. This show originally appeared on the Showtime cable TV channel.

In 1989, Petty released . Though nominally a solo project, other Heartbreakers and well-known musicians participated in the album's production. Mike Campbell co-produced the album with Petty and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. It was in the Billboard Top Ten chart for over 34 weeks and earned triple-platinum status, along the way spawning such hits as "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin'" and "Runnin' Down A Dream".

Prior to , Lynne and Petty worked together in the all-stars band Traveling Wilburys, which also counted Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Roy Orbison as members. Traveling Wilburys started as a joke in order to record a B-side for a George Harrison single, but the song "Handle With Care" was such a success that the group decided to record a full album, (1988). Roy Orbison's sudden death cast a shadow on the success and shortly afterwards Del Shannon, whom the remaining Wilburys had in mind as a replacement, committed suicide. A second Wilburys album, mysteriously called (1990), followed but couldn't quite live up to expectations.

Petty rejoined with the Heartbreakers for his next album, in 1991. It was again produced by Jeff Lynne and includes the hit singles "Learning To Fly" and "Into The Great Wide Open", the latter featuring Johnny Depp, Gabrielle Anwar and Faye Dunaway in the video.

In 1994, Petty released his second solo album, , which included hit singles "You Don't Know How It Feels", "You Wreck Me", "It's Good to Be King", "A Higher Place" and "Honey Bee".

A Tom Petty Anthology was released in 2000, compiled by film director Cameron Crowe.

Petty has been honored with 16 Grammy Award nominations since 1981. In that year he received his first nomination for his collaboration with Stevie Nicks, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" in the category of Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal. Petty earned a Grammy Award in 1989 for Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal for his work with the Traveling Wilburys. In 1994 he received another two Grammy Awards: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (for "You Don't Know How It Feels") and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical). also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album.

Other Wildflowers achievements included Best Male Video Award for "You Don't Know How It Feels" at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. Tom Petty The Heartbreakers won the same award in 1994 with the video "Mary Jane's Last Dance". At the 1994 ceremony, Petty was also presented with the Video Vanguard Award, citing his longtime contributions to the field.

As a songwriter, Tom Petty was acknowledged in May 1996 with the prestigious Golden Note Award from ASCAP. In April 1996, Petty received UCLA's George And Ira Gershwin Award For Lifetime Musical Achievement. In 2002 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Petty appeared in the 1997 movie, , directed by and starring Kevin Costner. This was his second appearance on the silver screen, having had a small part in the 1987 movie the Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018 Hollywood Blvd., an honor that acknowledges both their musical achievements and their humanitarian involvement with such organizations as Greenpeace, the National Veteran's Foundation, USA Harvest, Rock And Wrap It Up, and AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research).

In 2002 he appeared on .

In 2005, Tom Petty began hosting his own show "Buried Treasure" on XM Radio. On the show, Tom shares selections from his personal record collection. On December 6, 2005, he received the Billboard Century Award for his lifetime achievements.

Quotes

A comprehensive list of Tom Petty's most notable lyrics can be found in Wikiquote: Tom Petty.

"I'll endeavor to deserve it and may I remind you that this ain't the end. I can still kick some ass. God bless you." -