Tom Petty, Rock Muscian

SIDE ONE: A proud Gainesville native, Tom Petty left an indelible mark on music with a sound influenced by the city and its community of exceptional musicians. In 1975, he formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who would go on to release 13 studio albums. Petty championed artists’ rights throughout his career.

When his label sold the band’s contract without his permission in 1979, he refused to release the album, Damn the Torpedoes, and declared bankruptcy. Two years later, when the label tried to raise the price of the album, Hard Promises, to $9.98, Petty tried to name the album $8.98. Each time, the label sued, but Petty won.

Petty recorded 3 solo albums, including the acclaimed Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers. He was also a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys, alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison & Jeff Lynne. Petty won his first Grammy with them in 1989, and his second in 1995 for Best Rock Vocal Performance.

In 2002, he headlined the Super Bowl XLII halftime show and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Shortly after completing his 40th anniversary tour, Tom Petty passed away on October 2, 2017, at the age of 66. SIDE TWO: On October 20, 1950, Thomas Earl Petty was born to Earl and Kitty Petty at Alachua General Hospital.

Growing up, Petty was in the Boy Scouts and attended Sidney Lanier Elementary School. Petty’s love of music began when his uncle, Earl Jernigan, took him to Ocala, where he met Elvis Presley on the set of the film “Follow that Dream.” Petty then realized he wanted to play music. At 13, his father got him an electric guitar and he formed his first band, The Sundowners- winning the Moose Club’s Battle of the Bands.

By 15, he became a professional musician, joining The Epics. Graduating from Gainesville High School, Petty worked as a groundskeeper for the city and the University of Florida. His next band, Mudcrutch, performed for The Rose Community at the University of Florida, held shows at Dubs, and toured throughout Florida and the region.

In 1974, he moved to California to seek a record deal. Petty’s anthemic “I Won’t Back Down” has played at all University of Florida sporting events since his passing, becoming a fan favorite sing-along at home football games. In May 2022, the University of Florida honored Petty with a Doctorate of Music and created the Tom Petty Endowment for Guitar & Innovation.