In Memoriam: Tom Petty

We have lost another dearly beloved musician, folks.  Rest In Peace, Tom Petty, of his eponymous band, The Heartbreakers.  The band had so many legendary hit songs and was celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.  Petty on rhythm guitar, Mike Campbell on lead guitar, and Benmont Tench on keyboards, were the core members of the group, and created a sound all their own that loyal and endearing fans, including yours truly, latched onto very quickly.  So many hit songs and hit records played quite frequently on "classic rock" radio as it were, but more than that, an endearing and enduring legacy as a great musician as well, even though Tom Petty himself, served mostly as the rhythm guitarist, giving his bandmate Campbell, the spotlight on leads and solos.

I had a chance to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers play live, only once, but that one experience was unforgettable.  On July 23rd, their tour, with support from another great legend, Steve Winwood, rolled into Minneapolis and the Target Center.  Yours truly was at that show, and thrilled to witness what was a fantastic concert on that evening.  I still recall a lot of the music from that show, and Tom Petty's music will live forever in my heart as it will for countless millions of other devoted fans.  Here is the set list from that gig, which was searched for via setlist.fm.


Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers set list: Target Center  Minneapolis, MN  7-23-08

1. You Wreck Me
2. Listen to Her Heart
3. I Won't Back Down
4. Even The Losers
5. Free Fallin'
6. Mary Jane's Last Dance
7. End of The Line (Traveling Wilbury's cover) *Traveling Wilbury's were a supergroup Tom Petty was a part of, that also included George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne.
8. Breakdown
9. Saving Grace
10. A Face In The Crowd
11. Honey Bee (Sonny Boy Williamson I. cover)
12. Learning To Fly
13. Don't Come Around Here No More
14. Refugee

Encore:

15. Runnin' Down A Dream
16. Gloria (Them cover)
17. American Girl

The above video, is Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, and Benmont Tench, sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band on Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited", at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California (which was part of a tour that would be the last visit by the Allman Brothers Band to the west coast), on May 19th, 2009.

Here is a tribute article to Tom Petty.

Tom Petty Was Rock's Everyman

http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/10/03/555163541/tom-petty-was-rocks-everyman?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20171003&utm_campaign=youmusthearthis&utm_term=music

Rest In Peace, Tom Petty.  You will surely be missed.