While we have some musicians that are over the top with their stage antics and theatrics, Tom Petty was not one of them. In fact, if you have ever seen him live in concert, he doesn’t really move around the stage or talk much for that matter. He comes to play for his audiences and to make sure you got what you paid for – a lot of great songs to dance to and that you had fun.

Growing up in Gainesville, Tom Petty’s musical style had the kind of southern all out rock swagger and layered guitars that made you feel at home. A place where you could be yourself and just dance all your cares away. His voice spoke of wisdom and comfort and even though he didn’t say much, he was able to convey a lot through his music and lyrics. This was what attracted fans and other musicians to him. His music spoke to people about what the American ideal was supposed to be, no matter how crazy the world was at the time.

Tom Petty was great with his songwriting sensibilities. He was an expert at blending everyday mundane things with a larger than life approach. He could take something so simple and make it into a hit. Ironic enough, “Learning to Fly” with its acoustic guitar strumming and funky drum breaks were written after watching a television interview with a pilot saying “there’s not much to learn to fly, the difficult thing is coming down. One of his most inspirational songs!

He believed that rock music had the capacity to unite audiences and that rock was a shared experience to be enjoyed by everyone. Which is why he always reached out to artists for collaborations to create new shared experiences that would make everyone feel united and perhaps create change along the way. His career had its ups and downs, but as he said it so eloquently in his own song, “I won’t back down” and he never did, he continued to trudge forward with his various musical avenues until the end. He may have passed, but he left a legacy of musical greatness for the generations to come!

Later this year, expect to see a new Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 60-song box set “An American Treasure,” to hit the shelves just in time for the holidays! Set to be released September 28, 2018, this 60-track set reveals dozens of previously unreleased recordings, rarities, historic live performances, alternate versions of some of his classic songs and lastly, historic live performances and deep tracks that highlights Tom’s remarkable profundity and transformation as an influential songwriter, recording artist and performer.

This release will be available in multiple formats which you can find on www.tompetty.com along with vintage videos from his albums, fan club memories, radio and rare photos etc.