Tom Petty

Tom Petty - Rock Singers, Life Achievements and Family

Violet FieldHome › AmericanTom PettyOctober 20, 1950435 views

0 based on 0 rates
Tom Petty Biography Stories 

Tom Petty's Personal Details

Tom Petty was a singer best known as the frontman of ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’

InformationDetail
BirthdayOctober 20, 1950
Died onOctober 2, 2017
NationalityAmerican
FamousSingers, Rock Singers
City/StateFlorida
SpousesDana York (m. 2001), Jane Benyo (m. 1974; div. 1996)
Known asThomas Earl Petty
ChildrensAdria Petty, Kimberly Violette Petty
Universities
  • Gainesville High School
Birth PlaceGainesville, Florida
Height176
GenderMale
FatherEarl Petty
MotherKatherine Petty
Sun SignLibra
Born inGainesville, Florida
Famous asSinger
Died at Age66

// Famous Rock Singers

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett was an English musician best known as a member of the band Pink Floyd. Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Mike Love

Mike Love

One of the famous members of ‘The Beach Boys’, Mike Love is an American singer, musician and lyricist. Check out this biography to get more detailed information on his life.

Ronnie Spector

Ronnie Spector

Ronnie Spector (Veronica Yvette Bennett) is a well-known American rock-and-roll singer of the early 1960s and 1970s. This biography profiles her childhood, family, personal life, music career, etc.

Tom Petty's photo

Who is Tom Petty?

Tom Petty was a famous singer-songwriter best known as the frontman of the popular band ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. He became interested in music at the age of ten after a meeting with the legendary singer Elvis. He began his career with a group called the Mudcrutch. After the group’s disbandment, he proceeded to form the band which would eventually become known as ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. Their self-titled debut album was a success, becoming a hit in the UK, and later in the US as well. The band enjoyed continued success in the coming years. Petty also flourished as a solo artist and won several awards over the course of his career. With time, he became one of the world’s bestselling artists and was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’. He was also an occasional actor, having made his debut in the film ‘FM’. He played an important role in the epic adventure film ‘The Postman’ as well, which unfortunately was a commercial and critical disaster. He passed away in 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest following an accidental prescription drug overdose.

// Famous Singers

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell is an American singer and songwriter. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, birthday, etc.

Isaak Presley

Isaak Presley

All about American actor and singer Isaak Presley including his age, birthday, family life, girlfriends, net worth, and some fun facts.

Sophia Montero

Sophia Montero

Sophia Montero is an American singer and YouTuber. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age, date of birth, net worth, relationships, and fun facts.

Childhood & Early Life

Tom Petty was born on October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida, in the US. He was the oldest son of Earl and Kitty Petty, and had one younger brother, Bruce. He had a bitter relationship with his father who was known to be physically and verbally abusive.

From an early age, he sought refuge in music and learned to play the guitar. During his high school years, he joined a local band named the Epics, where he played bass. He dropped out of school at the age of seventeen after forming a new band named Mudcrutch. He became the group’s frontman and also the primary songwriter. Soon they gained a strong local following.

In the 1970s, the band did gain some popularity in Gainesville, but their recordings went unnoticed by the mainstream audience. Therefore, the band split up after they released only one single titled ‘Depot Street’.

Career in Music

Tom Petty moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch to form the first lineup of the band ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. They released their self-titled album in November 1976 which became a hit in the UK, and eventually, the US. It reached the 24th position on the UK albums chart and the 55th on the US Charts. The song ‘American Girl’ from the album became one of their signature songs.

Their next album ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ was released in 1978 and became an average success. Their third album ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ was one of the band’s most successful albums. It was accredited 2x platinum in the US and 3x platinum in Canada.

The band continued to enjoy success with their next albums including ‘Hard Promises’ (1981), ‘Long After Dark’ (1982), ‘Southern Accents’ (1985) and ‘Let Me Up’ (1987). In 1986, they also embarked on a tour with Bob Dylan, performing on their own and also serving as Dylan’s backup band.

Tom Petty made his solo debut in 1989 with the album named ‘Full Moon Fever’. It was a critical and commercial success, peaking at the 3rd position on the US Billboard 200. Despite his solo success, he did not leave his band. In 1991, they released their eighth album ‘Into the Great Wide Open’, which was a critical and commercial success. In 1996, they released their ninth album ‘Songs and Music from the Motion Picture "She's the One."’

His second solo album ‘Wildflowers’ also became a commercial success. It was met with positive reviews as well. Over the next two decades, he released four other albums with his band, which included ‘Echo’ (1999), ‘The Last DJ’ (2002), and ‘Mojo’ (2010) and ‘Hypnotic Eyes’ (2014). He also released a solo album named ‘Highway Companion’ in 2006. It peaked at the 4th position on the Billboard 200 chart and was praised by the critics.

Acting Career

Tom Petty made his acting debut with a role in the 1978 film ‘FM’. He next appeared in the 1987 film ‘Made in Heaven’ in an unaccredited role. He also appeared in several episodes of the American sitcom ‘Its’ Garry Sandlings’ Show’. He played a neighbor of the lead titular character.

He was seen in the 1997 film ‘The Postman’ where he played an important role.The film was a disaster: it made less than $20 million on a $80 million budget and received negative reviews. The critics opined that it was one of the worst films of the year.

He also had a voice role in the famed animated sitcom ‘The Simpsons’ in one episode, and in a few episodes of another popular sitcom ‘King of the Hill’.

Major Works

One of Tom Petty’s important works was ‘Damn the Torpedoes,’ his band’s third album. Released on the eve of his 29th birthday, the album became a huge success commercially, selling more than three million copies in the USA. With singles such as ‘Refugee’ ‘Here Comes My Girl’ and ‘Even the Losers’, the album appeared in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.

‘Full Moon Fever’ was the debut solo album by Tom Petty. The album became a commercial success and was certified 5x platinum in the US. It peaked at the 3rdposition on the US Billboard 200 and charted in several other countries as well, including Sweden, Norway, and the UK. It contained singles, such as ‘I Won’t Back Down’, ‘A Face in the Crowd’ and ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’.

Personal Life

Tom Petty was married to Jane Benyo from 1974 to 1996. They had two daughters, Adria, who became a director, and AnnaKim, who became an artist. He later disclosed that his struggle with heroin addiction ended his marriage.

He later became a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation.

He tied the knot with Dana York on June 3, 2001. Through this marriage he became a stepfather to Dana’s son from a previous relationship.

He passed away on 2nd October 2017 following a massive cardiac arrest caused by an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. His funeral took place at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery on 16th October.

// Famous Libra Celebrities peoples

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.

Jacob Tremblay

Jacob Tremblay

Jacob Tremblay is a Canadian child actor. Let’s have a look at his family & personal life including age, birthday, relationships, net worth and fun facts.

Sierra Furtado

Sierra Furtado

Check out all that you wanted to know about Sierra Furtado, the famous YouTube Personality; her birthday, her family and personal life, her boyfriend, fun trivia facts and more.

Tom Petty's awards

YearNameAward

Grammy Awards

2009Best Long Form Music VideoTom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream (2007)

MTV Video Music Awards

1995Best Male VideoTom Petty: You Don't Know How It Feels (1994)

Tom Petty biography timelines

  • // 20th Oct 1950
    Tom Petty was born on October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida, in the US. He was the oldest son of Earl and Kitty Petty, and had one younger brother, Bruce. He had a bitter relationship with his father who was known to be physically and verbally abusive.
  • // 1974 To 1996
    Tom Petty was married to Jane Benyo from 1974 to 1996. They had two daughters, Adria, who became a director, and AnnaKim, who became an artist. He later disclosed that his struggle with heroin addiction ended his marriage.
  • // Nov 1976
    Tom Petty moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch to form the first lineup of the band ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’. They released their self-titled album in November 1976 which became a hit in the UK, and eventually, the US. It reached the 24th position on the UK albums chart and the 55th on the US Charts. The song ‘American Girl’ from the album became one of their signature songs.
  • // 1978
    Their next album ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ was released in 1978 and became an average success. Their third album ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ was one of the band’s most successful albums. It was accredited 2x platinum in the US and 3x platinum in Canada.
  • // 1978 To 1987
    Tom Petty made his acting debut with a role in the 1978 film ‘FM’. He next appeared in the 1987 film ‘Made in Heaven’ in an unaccredited role. He also appeared in several episodes of the American sitcom ‘Its’ Garry Sandlings’ Show’. He played a neighbor of the lead titular character.
  • // 1997
    He was seen in the 1997 film ‘The Postman’ where he played an important role.The film was a disaster: it made less than $20 million on a $80 million budget and received negative reviews. The critics opined that it was one of the worst films of the year.
  • // 3rd Jun 2001
    He tied the knot with Dana York on June 3, 2001. Through this marriage he became a stepfather to Dana’s son from a previous relationship.
  • // 2003
    One of Tom Petty’s important works was ‘Damn the Torpedoes,’ his band’s third album. Released on the eve of his 29th birthday, the album became a huge success commercially, selling more than three million copies in the USA. With singles such as ‘Refugee’ ‘Here Comes My Girl’ and ‘Even the Losers’, the album appeared in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.
  • // 2nd Oct 2017
    He passed away on 2nd October 2017 following a massive cardiac arrest caused by an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. His funeral took place at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery on 16th October.

// Famous American peoples

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson is the son of former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, life, and little known facts about him.

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim

Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer is a Christian author and speaker. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Zoe LaVerne

Zoe LaVerne

Zoe LaVerne is an American musical.ly star. Check out this biography to know more about her family, personal life, including her age, birthday, etc.

Tom Petty's FAQ

  • What is Tom Petty birthday?

    Tom Petty was born at 1950-10-20

  • When was Tom Petty died?

    Tom Petty was died at 2017-10-02

  • Where was Tom Petty died?

    Tom Petty was died in UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, California

  • Which age was Tom Petty died?

    Tom Petty was died at age 66

  • Where is Tom Petty's birth place?

    Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida

  • What is Tom Petty nationalities?

    Tom Petty's nationalities is American

  • Who is Tom Petty spouses?

    Tom Petty's spouses is Dana York (m. 2001), Jane Benyo (m. 1974; div. 1996)

  • Who is Tom Petty childrens?

    Tom Petty's childrens is Adria Petty, Kimberly Violette Petty

  • What was Tom Petty universities?

    Tom Petty studied at Gainesville High School

  • How tall is Tom Petty?

    Tom Petty's height is 176

  • Who is Tom Petty's father?

    Tom Petty's father is Earl Petty

  • Who is Tom Petty's mother?

    Tom Petty's mother is Katherine Petty

  • What is Tom Petty's sun sign?

    Tom Petty is Libra

  • How famous is Tom Petty?

    Tom Petty is famouse as Singer