Musician Tom Petty dies at 66
Beloved musician Tom Petty died on Monday evening, of heart failure. His band, Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, debuted to critical acclaim with the 1979 album “Damn the Torpedoes.”
He was also a member of the esteemed Travelling Wilburys, along with such musical luminaries as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison.
Partial to a 12 string acoustic guitar early in his career, Petty’s love of the simpler musical styles of the 1960s combined with a penchant for innovation and a genuine passion for storytelling to produce a fun, emotive and highly creative style that delighted fans world-wide.
In an era of change, when popular music became increasingly ironic, his work, always evolving and deeply sincere, never went out of style; he remained a fan favorite, crossing generational barriers.
Photo: wikimedia commons (public domain)
