Tom Petty

Known for ActingBorn 1950-10-20Died 2017-10-02Gainesville, Florida, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

The History of Rock 'n' Roll

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Pack Up the Plantation - Live!

No Nukes

Rockpalast

Hard to Handle: Bob Dylan in Concert

Live Aid

Tom Petty: Going Home

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC

Concert for George

The Old Grey Whistle Test

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Live at the Olympic (The Last DJ)

Soundbreaking

The Defiant Ones

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: Playback

The Simpsons

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Rock Goes to College

Live Aid

Elvis Presley: The Searcher

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream

Classic Albums

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

MTV Video Music Awards

The Larry Sanders Show

Elvis Presley: The Searcher

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO

Sound City

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - High Grass Dogs - Live from the Fillmore

Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration

King of the Hill

Miami Vice

Behind the Music

The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Live at the Docks, Hamburg

It's Garry Shandling's Show

Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

Echo in the Canyon

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - A Bunch Of Videos And Some Other Stuff

Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free

Saturday Night Live

Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled

FM

America | A Tribute to Heroes

Heartbreakers Beach Party

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Live in Concert

Classic Albums: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes

Made in Heaven

Late Show with David Letterman