Tom Petty (1950-2016)
Tom Petty (1950-2016)
Thomas Earl Petty was born October 20th, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida. He was 10 years old when he began having an interest in Rock and Roll music when he met Elvis Presley in the Summer of 1961 on the set of Follow That Dream in Ocala. Once he saw The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show he knew what he wanted to be a part of and do with his life. So, at the age of 17 he dropped out of highschool to play bass with his band. Petty was married twice, his first wife was Jane Benyo, they married in 1974 and had two daughters, they would later divorce in 1996. He then married Dana York in 2001. Musically, he was known for being the lead singer of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers which formed in 1976. He has also been the lead singer of the band Mudcrutch and co-founded the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys in the late 1980’s.
Achievements:
-April 1996: Achieved UCLA’s George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement.
- May 1996: Won the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers’ Golden Note Award.
- Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
-December 6th, 2005: Won Billboard Century Award during the Billboard Music Awards.
- February 2017: Honored as MusiCares person of the Year for music and philanthropy.
-September 2006: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers received keys to the city of Gainesville, Florida.
University of Florida supposedly planted an Ogeechee Lime Tree which is now called the Tom Petty Tree because it was said that he had a part in planting it.
Charities:
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