Tom Petty
Acting
- Born:
- 1950-10-20
- Died:
- 2017-10-02
- Place of birth:
- Gainesville, Florida, USA
Biography
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He was also a successful solo artist. Over the course of his career, Petty sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. His hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "American Girl" (1976), "Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), "Refugee" (1980), "The Waiting" (1981), "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and "Learning to Fly" (1991). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (1989), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994). Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy. He also acted; he had a recurring role as the voice of Lucky Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy series King of the Hill from 2004 to the show's conclusion in 2009. Petty died of an accidental drug overdose in 2017 at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour. On December 4, 2023, Petty's song "Love Is a Long Road" was used in the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, which is considered one of the most anticipated video games ever made. This trailer gained over 90 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours. Because of this immense bump in popularity, the song itself gained nearly 1 million YouTube views in the same time span, gained a 36,979% increase on Spotify, had almost 250,000 searches on Shazam, and ranked second on the worldwide iTunes chart.
Known For
Filmography
Fame and Fentanyl
Heartbreakers Beach Party
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts
Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free
Echo in the Canyon
Elvis Presley: The Searcher
The Defiant Ones
Soundbreaking
Night Flight: Born Again
$aving Dat Money
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC
Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled
Sound City
Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO
Mike Campbell: The Guitars
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Classic Albums: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes
The Best Of Sound Stage
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Live from Gatorville
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream
The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys
Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: 30th Anniversary Concert
Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers - Free Fallin'
Live Aid
Concert for George
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Live at the Olympic (The Last DJ)
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Live in Concert
Soundstage
America: A Tribute to Heroes
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - High Grass Dogs - Live from the Fillmore
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: VH1 Storytellers
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Live at the Docks, Hamburg
The Postman
Wired for Sound: A Guitar Odyssey
Behind the Music
Classic Albums
King of the Hill
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: Playback
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: 400 Days
Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
Tom Petty: Going Home
Late Show with David Letterman
Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Take the Highway Live
Later... with Jools Holland
The Larry Sanders Show
The Simpsons
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - A Bunch Of Videos And Some Other Stuff
Made in Heaven
It's Garry Shandling's Show
Hard to Handle: Bob Dylan in Concert
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Pack Up the Plantation - Live!
Bridge School Benefit Concert 1986
Live Aid
The Everly Brothers: Songs of Innocence and Experience
MTV Video Music Awards
The Everly Brothers' Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey
No Nukes
Fridays
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Rock Goes to College
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - The Old Grey Whistle Test
FM
Saturday Night Live
Rockpalast
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Tom Petty - Mojo Tour 2010
Life, Death and Money