Quick Facts
| Name | Tom Petty |
|---|---|
| Nick Name | Tom Petty |
| Birth Name | Thomas Earl Petty |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Musician |
| Place Of Birth | Gainesville, Florida |
| Birth Nation | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous For | The lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |
| Father | Earl Petty |
| Mother | Kitty Katherine |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Brothers | Bruce Petty |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Awards | Iinducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in December 2001 |
| Married Date | 2001 |
| Wife | Jane Benyo (1974-1996) Dana York (2001-until his death in 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Daughter | Adria and Annakim |
| Residence | Santa Monica, California |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 feet 9 inches) |
| Weight | 154 lbs (70 kg) |
| Eye Color | Light Blue |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Death Date | 2 October 2017 |
| Place Of Death | UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California |
| Cause Of Death | Accidental drug overdose |
| Source of Wealth | Music (record sales, contract, concerts, tours, gigs) |
| Net Worth | Around $95 million |
American singer-songwriter-musician Thomas Earl Petty, better known by his stage as Tom Petty, was also an actor and a record producer. Petty played guitar and sang lead for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. With over 80 million recordings sold globally, he was one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
Don’t Do Me Like That (1979), Refugee (1980), The Waiting (1981), Don’t Come Around Here No More (1985), and Learning to Fly are a few of his popular singles with the Heartbreakers (1991). He also belonged to the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup from the late 1980s. I Won’t Back Down (1989), “Free Fallin’ (1989), and “You Don’t Know How It Feels” are a few of his solo success singles (1994). Tom Petty, a prominent artist, passed away on October 2, 2017, in Santa Monica, from an unintentional drug overdose.
How much is the Net worth of Tom Petty?
Tom Petty was one of the artists with the greatest commercial success of all time. He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 80 million recordings sold globally. With the bands Mudcrutch, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Traveling Wilburys, he had a long and successful musical career.
He also explored a career as a soloist. As a member of a band or as a solo performer, he has over 20 albums out. His record sales, label agreements, performances, tours, and sponsorships provided the bulk of his revenue. With his record label, he has a hefty recording contract. His estimated net worth at the time of his passing was $95 million.
Early Years and Bio
On October 20, 1950, Tom Petty was born. Thomas Earl Petty was his legal name at birth. Gainesville, Florida, in the United States, was where he was born. He was of American descent. She was conceived by his mother Kitty Katherine and his father Earl Petty. Bruce is his brother, and he is his only sibling. He was of Caucasian race and practiced Christianity. He was a Libra by birth.
What was the Professional Career of Tom Petty?
When Tom Petty was 10 years old, he first encountered Elvis Presley, which sparked his love in music. After witnessing the Beatles, he had the desire to join a band. He credited the Rolling Stones with motivating him by proving that he and other musicians could succeed in the rock and roll industry. At the age of 17, he left high school to join his brand-new band, Epics, as the bassist. Future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench joined the group, which subsequently changed its name to Mudcrutch. “Depot Street,” the band’s lone hit, was released in 1975. After the dissolution of Mudcrutch, Petty focused on his solo career.
With Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch, he started his own band, which later evolved into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The group issued their self-titled debut album, which was more popular in Britain than the US. It featured “American Girl” and “Breakdown,” two of their top hits. Twelve more albums were later released by the group. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was released in 1976. Other albums by the group include You’re Gonna Get It!, Damn the Torpedoes, Hard Promises, Long After Dark, Southern Accents, Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough), Into the Great Wide Open, Songs and Music from “She’s the One,” Echo, The Last DJ, Mojo, and Hypnotic Eye (2014).
More on Career
In 1988, Petty became a member of George Harrison’s band, the Traveling Wilburys. Rob Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Bob Dylan were all a part of it. Two albums, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 and Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, were produced by the group. In response to a number of studio recordings that were being sold under the Traveling Wilburys Vol. 2 label, the album was given the designation Vol. 3. He recorded three solo albums as a solo performer: Highway Companion (1994), Wildflowers (1994), and Full Moon Fever (1989).
In 2017, The Heartbreakers set out on a 40th Anniversary Tour of the US. The group’s final show was in the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California, where they finished the tour.
He appeared in many films and television programs as an actor. He had a cameo in the 1978 movie FM, which was his debut appearance. Also, he appeared in movies like The Postman and Made in Heaven, among others. From 2004 through 2009, he provided the voice of Lucky/Mud Dobber in the animated sitcom King of the Hill. Runnin’ Down a Dream, a documentary on Petty’s career by Peter Bogdanovich, had its world premiere in October 2007 at the New York Film Festival. Also, In 1994, he was given the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music by UCLA. In 1996, he received the Golden Note Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
In 1999, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work in the music business. Also, In December 2001, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were honored with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. On December 6, 2005, he was presented with the Billboard Century Award, the highest accolade bestowed by the company for creative excellence. Gainesville, Florida, gave the keys to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 2006. For his contributions to music and philanthropy, he was named the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year in February.
Who was Tom Petty’s spouse?
From 1974 through 1996, Tom Petty was married to Jane Benyo. Adria and Annakim were their joint daughters. In 2001, Petty wed Dana York.
What was Tom Petty’s height?
Tom Petty was approximately 1.76 meters (5 feet, 9 inches) tall. He weighs about 154 pounds, or 70 kg, in total. His hair was blonde, and he had light blue eyes. He was heterosexual in sexual preference.
How Did Tom Petty Pass Away?
Tom Petty battled heroin addiction for about ten years, from 1996 to 1999. He attributed a significant portion of his addiction to the hurt he felt after divorcing Benyo. In 1999, after being taken to a rehab facility, he managed to kick his addiction. He was discovered unconscious at his house on the early morning of October 2, 2017. After receiving CPR, he was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where he passed away.
Later, it was revealed that he had overdosed on fentanyl, oxycodone, acetyl fentanyl, despropionyl fentanyl, and other opioids as well as citalopram, temazepam, and alprazolam, all sedatives (an antidepressant). He has a number of health problems. On October 16, 2017, a memorial service took place at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
Trivia
- His father was a traveling salesman.
- His mother was a local tax office worker.
- His interest in rock and roll music began at age ten when he met Elvis Presley.
- His favorite punk music band was Rolling Stones.
- Don Felde was one of Petty’s first guitar teachers.
- He worked briefly as a gravedigger and on the grounds crew of the University of Florida.
- He purportedly planted an Ogeechee lime tree at the University of Florida is now called the Tom Petty tree.
- He appeared as a musical guest in several episodes of SNL.
- He performed at the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLII.
- He had a difficult relationship with his father but was close to his mother and his brother.
- He was known as a staunch guardian of his artistic control and artistic freedom.
- He filed for bankruptcy in 1979.
- He sued tire company B.F. Goodrich for $1 million for using a song very similar to his song “Mary’s New Car” in a TV commercial in 1987.
- He disallowed George W. Bush from using “I Won’t Back Down” for his 2000 presidential campaign. His family would do the same for Donald Trump in 2020.
- An arsonist set fire to Petty’s house in Encino, California in 1987. The attacker was never caught.
- From 1976 to 1982, his main instrument was a sunburst 1964 Fender Stratocaster.
- From 1979 onwards, he used the Rickenbacker guitars.
- He also played Fender Telecasters.
- As a bassist, he played a Fender Jazz Bass, Rickenbacker 4003, Höfner Club Bass and Danelectro Longhorn.
- He is ranked 91st on Rolling Stone’s list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.
- The Northeast Park where Petty often visited when young was renamed Tom Petty Park in his honor on 20 October 2018, which would have been his 68th birthday.
