Tom Petty

Background

Thomas Early Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida to Earl Petty and Kitty Petty. He had one younger brother, Bruce. He moved to Los Angeles and formed the original lineup of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch. In November 1976, they released their self-titled album, which became a hit in the U.K. and, later, the U.S. “Damn the Torpedoes,” their third album, was one of the band’s most successful. It received a 2x platinum rating in the U.S. and a 3x platinum rating in Canada.

Petty made his solo debut in 1989 with the album “Full Moon Fever.” It was a commercial success in the U.S., peaking at number three on the Billboard 200. He did not leave his band despite his solo triumph. He and his band issued four more albums over the next two decades. In 2006, Petty released a solo album titled “Highway Companion.” It reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart and received positive reviews from critics. With a role in the 1978 film “FM,” Petty made his acting debut. He appeared in multiple episodes of “It’s Garry Sandlings’ Show,” an American sitcom. He also had a vocal role in one episode of the iconic animated sitcom “The Simpsons,” as well as in a few episodes of another popular sitcom, “King of the Hill.”

From 1974 to 1996, Petty was married to Jane Benyo and they had two daughters. Petty revealed that his marriage had been terminated due to his heroin addiction. He later married Dana York in 2001 and he became a stepfather to York’s son. On October 2, 2017, he died as a result of a major cardiac arrest induced by an overdose of prescription medicines. On October 16, 2017, he was laid to rest at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.