At this time in my life, Tom Petty was not a significant figure. He was someone my parents listened to, not someone that graced my playlists that consisted of super indie bands and pop punk. Despite my ignorance of Tom Petty and basically all rock music during this time period, I was still very largely aware of his songs and his sound. Hearing a Tom Petty song at some point in your life is a guarantee. They are played over speakers in bars, drunkenly sung at karaoke, or blasted through our radios during throwback hour.

When I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it was pouring rain. I was wearing a giant tarp poncho, trying to stay covered under a small pavilion. The stage seemed miles away, his figure barely recognizable through the rain and the blackness of the night. Still, there were thousands of people there. Everyone showed up for his performance. It was the last night of the festival, leaving him to be the very last act. Even with all of the rain and people there, everyone just had to see Tom Petty.

The crowd that night was fantastic. No song he performed went without the chorus of the crowd screaming along. Even with the worst of the conditions, with the rain and the mud and the darkness, nobody was miserable. It was a pure moment of happiness for all. I stood with one of my best friends and her family, singing along to the songs that I didn’t even know that I knew.

I miss that moment, I miss Tom Petty, and I miss the feeling of happiness he didn’t even know he was giving to me.

The post A Face In The Crowd: My Tom Petty Experience appeared first on SCAD Radio.

He was born Thomas Earl Petty on October 20th, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida to Earl and Kitty Petty, the first of two boys. The physical and verbal abuse he faced as a child led Petty to develop a fascination with music, especially rock and roll. This would eventually force him to quit school and pursue his dream of becoming a rock star at the age of seventeen.

After having an unsuccessful run with the rock band Mudcrutch, Petty formed a new grew alongside several of his old band members under the name Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The band would face little success in their early years but finally hit the mainstream after a triumphant tour of Great Britain and the release of the song, “Breakdown”.

Reaching more recognition with American audiences after the release of his next two albums, You’re Gonna Get It! (1978), and Damn the Torpedoes (1979). His subsequent collaborations with Stevie Nicks on her solo album, Bella Donna (1981) was a major boost to his career, alongside touring with Bob Dylan, and creating the Traveling Wilburys with rock legends Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne. The Traveling Wilburys would eventually turn out to be a Grammy-winning group.

His reputation as one of the greatest rockstars ever was cemented with his 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside other inductees, The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Isaac Hayes, and Brenda Lee.

He was always full of surprises, he would cameo in films like FM and Made in Heaven, and even took actually film roles like the Mayor in Kevin Costner’s 1997 film, The Postman. His recurring role on King of the Hill as Luanne’s husband, Lucky, was always a pleasant surprise to see. He advocated for the legalization of marijuana, even writing the song, “Don’t Pull Me Over”, as a protest for the legalization.

We thank him for all of the classics he has given us, “American Girl”, “I Won’t Back Down”, “You Don’t Know How It Feels”, and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”, just to name a few. He will be deeply missed.

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