Artist Research: Tom Petty

Thomas Earl Tom Petty was born October 20, 1950 in aines!ille, "lori#a$
%hile he en&oye# m'sic at a yo'n( a(e, he ne!er really became serio's abo't it 'ntil a(e
10 when he )irst saw El!is Presley *er)orm li!e$ +n the s'mmer o) 19,1, Petty-s 'ncle
was wor.in( on the set o) El!is- )ilm Follow that Dream, which was bein( shot in nearby
Ocala, "lori#a$ /e in!ite# 100year0ol# Tom #own to the set an# '*on seein( Presley
*er)orm, Petty became an instant El!is )an$ /e wo'l# also later say that he .new he
wante# to be in a ban# the moment he saw The 1eatles on The Ed Sullivan Show,
2htt*:33www$lyrics)rea.$com3t3tom4*etty3bio(ra*hy$html5$
Petty be(an to learn how to *lay the ('itar, an# one o) his )irst teachers was 6on
"el#er, who wo'l# (o on to become the lea# ('itarist )or the Ea(les )rom 1978 to 1990$
At a(e 17, Petty #ro**e# o't o) hi(h school to &oin the ban# :'#cr'tch$ The ban# was
*o*'lar in aines!ille, b't lac.e# a mainstream a'#ience an# soon #isban#e# #es*ite
sec'rin( a recor# contract in ;$A$ with <helter Recor#s$ E!en tho'(h the label o))ere# to
recor# Petty solo, nothin( was #one 'ntil 1975 when Petty #isco!ere# a #emo ta*e that
his )ormer ban# mates )rom :'#cr'tch, :i.e =am*bell an# 1enmont Tench, were
wor.in( on alon( with Ron 1lair an# <tan ;ynch$ The (ro'* came to(ether an# became
Tom Petty an# The /eartbrea.ers$ +n 197,, the (ro'* release# their sel) title# #eb't
alb'm 'n#er Petty-s *re!io's <helter Recor#s contract$
Altho'(h it #i#n-t sell well at )irst, the alb'm #i# (ain *o*'larity in 1ritain$ A)ter
the (ro'* to're# in En(lan#, A1= rerelease# the sin(le 1rea.#own in the >nite#
<tates, an# it ma#e the to* 80$ A)ter the sin(les ;isten to /er /eart an# + ?ee# to
@now were release# in 1979, the ban#-s *o*'larity be(an to ta.e o))$ +n 1999 Petty,
alon( with eor(e /arrison, Ae)) ;ynne, Roy Orbison, an# 1ob 6ylan, )orme# the
Tra!elin( %ilb'ry-s an# release# two alb'ms, Traveling Wilburys Vol. I an# Vol. II.
+n 1999, Petty release# his )irst solo alb'm, Full Moon Fever. Altho'(h it is
consi#ere# a solo alb'm, it )eat'res :i.e =am*bell an# )ormer %ilb'ry-s Ae)) ;ynne,
Roy Orbison, an# eor(e /arrison$ The m'sic !i#eo )or + %on-t 1ac. 6own also
)eat'res Rin(o <tarr on #r'ms, e!en tho'(h he #i#n-t *lay in the *er)ormance$ +n 1991,
Petty an# the /eartbrea.ers re)orme# an# recor#e# their last alb'm to(ether, Into the
Great Wide !en, which incl'#e# the *o*'lar sin(les ;earnin( to "ly an# +nto the
reat %i#e O*en$
Tom Petty-s m'sic is a 'niB'e blen# o) <o'thern "ol. an# Roc.$ /is m'sic shows
his so'thern roots, while still incor*oratin( the tra#itional Roc. Cn- Roll so'n#$ <ome o)
his ma&or hits )oc's on more tra#itional *o* m'sic ins*iration li.e lost lo!es an# (irls,
howe!er his m'sic also has a !ery *ersonal si#e, tellin( tales o) li)e str'((les an# o'tcasts
ma.in( their way$ Petty-s son( writin( ability an# his 'niB'e !oice combine with
shre##in( ('itar solos )rom the /eartbrea.er-s lea# ('itarist :i.e =am*bell to create
memorable *o*3roc. anthems li.e American irl an# also to tell stories li.e on +nto
the reat %i#e O*en an# :ary Aane-s ;ast 6ance$ O!erall, + thin. the most im*ortant
com*onent to Petty-s s'ccess is his 'niB'e traits an# creati!ity, which res'lt in tr'ly
ori(inal m'sic an# e!en some !ery o'tlan#ish m'sic !i#eos s'ch as those )or 6on-t
=ome Aro'n# /ere ?o :ore an# ;earnin( to "ly$
%hat )irst (ot Tom into m'sic was hearin( El!is *er)orm$ /e was a bi( El!is )an
(rowin( '*, an# was )irst intro#'ce# to Roc. m'sic by the @in($ /e was also in)l'ence#
by the 1eatles, who ins*ire# an# moti!ate# him to be in a ban#$ As + mentione# earlier,
he was B'ote# sayin( that seein( the 1eatles on the Ed Sullivan Show was what )irst
ma#e him want to be in a ban#$ Petty also .new, an# was )rien#s with 1ob 6ylan, ha!in(
*laye# with him in The Tra!elin( %ilb'ry-s$ Petty an# the /eartbrea.er-s also &oine#
6ylan on his Tr'e =on)essions to'r an# ha# hel* )rom 6ylan when writin( the son(
Aammin- :e$
%hat + really li.e abo't Tom Petty is his ori(inality an# 'niB'e B'alities$ /e
wrote all o) his own son(s, an# was ins*ire# by e!ents )rom the real worl# an# his own
li)e$ /e was also !ery creati!e an# ori(inal when it came to his m'sic !i#eos an# his
o't)its$ =lassic Petty m'sic !i#eos li.e the ones )or :ary Aane-s ;ast 6ance, which
)eat'res Petty as a mortician #ancin( with a #ea# woman an# 6on-t =ome Aro'n# /ere
?o :ore, which ta.es c'es )rom "li#e in Wonderland an# )eat'res Petty as the :a#
/atter, show his creati!ity$ /e wo'l# also o)ten wear to* hats, which a##e# to his 'niB'e
an# creati!e !ibe$ %ith so many artists that mimic each other an# 'se the same *ro!en
style, Petty-s m'sic is a breath o) )resh air$
;ately, Tom Petty has release# a )ew solo alb'ms, li.e $ighway %om!anion an#
his most recent, Mo&o. /e has been eD*erimentin( with more bl'es roc. in his m'sic,
es*ecially in Mo&o$ Petty has also contin'e# to'rin(, an# contin'es to #raw bi( crow#s as
his m'sic transitions to a yo'n(er a'#ience$ %hile he is on the bac. si#e o) his career,
Petty is still *ro#'cin( m'sic an# contin'in( his le(acy$
Sources:
ETom Petty : 1io(ra*hy$E 'yri#s Frea($ 25 :ay 2012$ %eb$
Fhtt*:33www$lyrics)rea.$com3t3tom4*etty3bio(ra*hy$htmlG$
ETom Petty$E )ollingstone.#om$ Rollin( <tone :a(aHine$ %eb$ 2, :ay 2012$
Fhtt*:33www$rollin(stone$com3m'sic3artists3tom0*etty3bio(ra*hyG$
Iollo, Pa'l, an# Tom Petty$ %onversations with Tom *etty$ ?ew Jor.: Omnib's,
2005$ Print$