Tom Petty Biography, Facts & FAQ

Thomas Earl Petty is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born October 20, 1950. Hit singles over the course of his career include 'Don't Do Me Like That,' 'Refugee,' 'Runnin' Down a Dream,' 'The Waiting,' 'Don't Come Around Here No More,' 'I Won't Back Down,' 'Free Fallin,' 'Mary Jane's Last Dance,' 'American Girl,' 'Learning to Fly' and 'You Don't Know How It Feels,' most of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio.

Petty has been supported by his band, the Heartbreakers, for the majority of his career. He has occasionally released solo work, as is the case with his most recent effort, 2006's Highway Companion, on which he performed most of the backing instrumentation himself. However, members of The Heartbreakers have played on each of his solo albums and the band has always backed him when touring in support of those albums.

Born and raised in northern Florida, Petty started playing music while still in high school. At the tender age of 17 he dropped out of school to join the band Mudcrutch, which featured guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench. By 1970, Mudcrutch had moved to Los Angeles with hopes of finding a record contract. However, Mudcrutch splintered apart shortly after relocating to L.A. Over the next few years, Petty drifted through bands, eventually hooking back up with Campbell and Tench in 1975. At the time, the duo were working with bassist Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch; soon, Petty became involved with the band, which was renamed 'The Heartbreakers.' Petty was still under contract to Shelter, and the group assumed his deal, releasing Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in 1976.

The breakthrough hit for the band was 'Damn the Torpedoes,' garnering superlative reviews and generating the hit 'Don't Do Me Like That' and the number 15 'Refugee,' and spending seven weeks at number two on the U.S. charts; it would eventually sell over two million copies. Their follow-up album, 'Hard Promises,' became a Top Ten hit, going platinum. Petty & the Heartbreakers returned in '82 with the album 'Long After Dark,' which incidentally became their third consecutive Top Ten album.

Petty released his first album for Warner Bros. Records in late 1994. Titled 'Wildflowers,' it went on to sell over three million copies and produced the hits 'You Don't Know How It Feels,' 'You Wreck Me' and 'It's Good To Be King.' In '96, Wildflowers earned two Grammy Awards: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and Best Engineered Album. The tour for Wildflowers marked the biggest and most successful concert series in the history of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. During the tour the group performed two sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl, producing a record gross figure for a multi-night engagement by a single artist at the venue. Significant critical acclaim greeted the release of Wildflowers.

Tom Petty Awards

Tom Petty Discography

Highway Companion
Released: 07-25-2006
Discs: 1
Tracks: 12