Tom was a great performer, full of light, a friend.. I’ll never forget him - BOB DYLAN YESTERDAY
MUSIC royalty lined up to praise rock legend Tom Petty, who has died aged 66, days after completing his last tour.
The American Girl and Free Fallin’ singer said: “I have a granddaughter who I would like to see as much of as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road.” Bob Dylan, who played with Petty in The Traveling Wilburys, said: “It’s shocking, crushing news. I thought the world of Tom. “He was a great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.” Sir Paul McCartney tweeted: “Sending love to Tom Petty and his family at this difficult time.” Meat Loaf wrote “The world lost a great one today. He still lives with us in his music.” And Jon Bon Jovi simply said he was “crushed” calling him “one of my great influences”. Petty was found unconscious by second wife Dana York, who he said helped him beat heroin and cocaine addiction in the 1990s.
TOUGH
The rocker, who had suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, never regained consciousness and his family withdrew life support on Monday. AnnaKim Violette, 35, the youngest of Petty’s two daughters from his marriage to Jane Benyo, wrote that her father was “an American Icon”. She added: “I feel grateful for having the greatest rock star as a dad. “I love you, Mad Hatter.” Petty had a tough childhood in Gainesville, Florida, with an alcoholic father who would beat him with his belt. He says his life changed aged 11 when he shook Elvis Presley’s hand after watching him filming Follow That Dream in Florida. Elvis and later The Beatles inspired him to start The Sundowners at 14. He moved on to the Epics, then Mudcrutch before success with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Their hits included Breakdown and Don’t Come Around Here No More. They sold 80million records. Petty summed up his career: “Music, as far as I have seen in the world so far, is the only real magic that I know. There is something really honest and clean and pure and it touches you in your heart.”
I feel grateful for having the greatest rock star as a dad ANNA KIM VIOLETTE TOM PETTY’S DAUGHTER