On October 2nd 2017, Tom Petty, lead singer of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, died after having a heart attack Sunday night in his Malibu home. When the ambulance arrived, they found 66 year old Petty unresponsive, and he was declared dead on that day. Just 2 weeks prior, Petty was on his 40th year anniversary tour with guitarist Mike Campbell, their keyboardist Benmont Tench, and bassist Ron Blair, all original members of The Heartbreakers. Their final concert was played at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on September 25th.

Tom Petty was born on October 20th, 1950. After watching the Beatles performing on T.V., Petty was inspired and later dropped out of school to became a bassist at age 17. Petty formed his first band called The Epics; after one single, the band broke up and formed into Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers afterward. Petty and his band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of their hit songs, like “American Girl,” “Free Fallin,” “Listen To Her Heart,” and “I Need To Know”. More than having a number of hits, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, however, Tom Petty was one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of his time. Petty affected the lives of many people, and his passing is a sad one indeed.

Fans and musicians have offered their condolences to the Petty family. Musicians like Bob Dylan have said that this is “shocking, crushing news”. The musical legend Tom Petty will be missed by many.