In 1975, Shelter dropped Mudcrutch from the label but retained Petty himself.Īfter Mudcrutch lost their contract, Petty began a collaboration with Leon Russell who introduced him to many important figures in the mid-seventies music scene from Brian Wilson to George Harrison and Ringo Starr. After signing in Tulsa, they continued on to Los Angeles and recorded and released a single called “Depot Street.” The single failed to get much play on the radio and the record company grew impatient. Impressed by Cordell’s resume and his interest in their music, Mudcrutch chose to sign on with Shelter. During the preparations for the move to Los Angeles in 1974, Petty married his first wife Jane Benyo who had recently given birth to his daughter Audria.Īfter a call from Denny Cordell, who had produced albums for Joe Cocker and Procol Harum, Mudcrutch stopped in Tulsa to meet with Shelter Records. They received some interest from London Records who sent the group back to Florida to get the rest of the band and move to Los Angeles to record an album. In 1974, Petty went to Los Angeles with bandmates from Mudcrutch, his most notable early band. Petty performed in many local bands in Gainesville through the rest of the 1960s and early 70s, learning how to write songs and perform with a group. Like so many other boys of the time, Petty had a dream, but when he saw The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, he found a template for how to achieve his dream. Petty had discovered that he wanted to be a rockstar. Petty tells a story that he went out the day after he met Elvis and traded his prized slingshot for some Elvis 45s and played them constantly. Though he only had contact with Elvis for a moment, from the moment young Petty’s life changed radically. In 1960, Petty’s uncle, Earl Jernigan, who was a location scout in the film industry, introduced Tom to Elvis Presley. Earl was “a violent drunk” who savagely beat Tom, while Kitty was a frail woman who battled cancer and epilepsy, and sadly passed away in October 1980. Thomas Earl Petty was born on October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, to Katherine “Kitty” and Earl Petty. He was a great performer and I’ll never forget him.” When he learned of Petty’s unexpected departure, Bob Dylan, the Poet Laureate of Rock-n-Roll, told Rolling Stone, “ It’s shocking, crushing news. He was inducted with his band, The Heartbreakers, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, received the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement in 1996, and was named as MusiCares’ Person of the Year in 2017. His unassuming, uncomplicated style led some critics to write him off early, but over the course of forty years in the business Petty became an icon. Tom Petty was an unpretentious musician who built a legendary career from the humblest beginning.
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