Tom Petty's music touched every facet of my life. From discovering rock n' roll and through my formative years, to college and becoming an adult, meeting Julie, moving to CA and the birth of my kids. Petty was always there. Even more than Springsteen, Petty was always there. I can name any Petty song and pinpoint the moment in my life when it first transformed me.
This summer, I finally read Warren Zanes' warts and all biography of Tom Petty. It's fantastic, and Petty, who was interviewed and gave his blessing to the book, is brutally honest about the harrowing details of his life. This was a man who endured and persevered. He was far from perfect, but he did hia best.
If you have an opportunity, pick it up. It's the perfect companion to Peter Bogdanovich's epic documentary, "Runnin Down a Dream."
I may not have loved the most recent Heartbreakers albums, but that was okay. The Mudcrutch records contained the ramshackle looseness that I loved about so much of his music. That's what being a Petty fan is about: You love most of the art, but aren't afraid to voice your opinion because, let's face it, Petty was pretty opinionated himself.
Today has been a shock. With Vegas and now Petty, I'm a little numb. I just came home from Tucson where I spent the weekend with my parents. I feel blessed because I can still call them tonight and tell them I love them.
It's strange: When I heard the news about Petty, I didn't rush to listen to his tunes. That's what we do when an artist dies, right? We spend hours digging through their catalogue, paying honor to them. Well, that was pretty much every week for me, so turning on "The Waiting" or "No Second Thoughts" or "It'll All Work Out" or "Dogs on the Run" or "Crawling Back to You" or "Mary Jane's Last Dance" or "Keeping Me Alive" or "Room at the Top" or "Free Fallin" is no different today than it was a couple of days ago.
Except that it is.
Tom Petty is somewhere in heaven right now, singing harmony with Howie Epstein, trading licks with George Harrison, and being reunited with his beloved mother, Kitty.
"Over mountains I floated away
Across an ocean I dreamed her name
I followed an angel down through the gates
I can only thank God it was not too late"
RIP Mr. Petty
