Tom Petty wanted to turn a catchy riff into a much-needed hit. He didn't stop playing it until he did

Under pressure to follow up his multi-platinum breakthrough, Damn the Torpedoes, with another best-selling album, Petty ...
American Songwriter

The Near Tragedy Tom Petty and His Family Escaped That Inspired One of His Greatest Hits

Tom Petty and his family were the victims of an arson attack on their Encino, California, home early in the morning on May 17, 1987. The family was preparing for an afternoon barbecue in celebration ...
NPR

Tom Petty to 'Fresh Air': 'The songs mean a lot to people, and it means a lot to me'

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Tonya Mosley. If you've been watching the Apple TV+ series "Bad Monkey," you've heard some great covers of Tom Petty songs, like this one. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I WON'T BACK DOWN ...
Yahoo

Tom Petty on how he almost didn’t record his first solo hit — and how George Harrison helped save the day

“Of all the songs I've written, I think I get the most feedback about that song,” Tom Petty said of “I Won’t Back Down” in the Peter Bogdanovich documentary Runnin’ Down a Dream. “And it is a personal ...
Ultimate Classic Rock

‘Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party’ Coming to Theaters

Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, 1983's Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, is coming to theaters this fall. It's been fully restored and also includes 20 additional minutes of footage starring ...
People

Tom Petty's Death, 8 Years Later: Inside the Singer's Final Days and Painful Injury That Quietly Affected Him

Legendary singer-songwriter Tom Petty died on Oct. 2, 2017 Christopher Rudolph is a contributing writer for PEOPLE. He previously covered entertainment at The Advocate, HuffPost, Logo News, MTV News ...