In my 20’s I remember driving around with that giant CD book picking out the music. Whoever rode shotgun ran the radio. After flipping through the book for a few minutes I finally setteled on a Tom Petty disc and leaning to my left I told my friend who was driving, “Whenever I don’t know what I’m in the mood for, I go with Tom Petty because he always sounds good“.
The first time I saw Tom Petty was with John Mellencamp on the East Coast at some outdoor festival. I’m trying to think what year it was but I can’t remember, I have the tickets stubb at home because…it’s Tom Petty. Up to that point it was the best live concert I had ever heard. I didn’t know bands could sound better live then they did on records before I saw Tom Petty. I was lucky enough to see him several more times throughout the year and I just saw him again in 2014, little did I know it would be the last time.
They don’t make musicians like Tom Petty anymore. The style, the attitude, the unique voice. Tom Petty sounded amazing with a full backing bank or just by himself with a harmonica and a guitar. Think about him, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison all together as one band. (The Traveling Wilburys 1988-1990). Will that every happen again? What are you going to do put Beiber, Gaga, the dude from Nickelback and Taylor Swift all together? No. Music isn’t done but it will never be the same again.
I remember my first time in LA, I was lost and trying to figure out if I should turn now or at the next intersection. As I sat at the red light I looked up to see what street I was on, it was Ventura Boulevard. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tom Petty had been here. He too looked at this sign one time and then wrote about it in “Free Fallin'”. It still gives me the chills. I even took a picture I was so star struck….by a road sign.
He followed me on Twitter which normally I don’t care about but it’s Tom F’ing Petty. He also Tweeted about me back in 2012. It was weird. I’m not famous, I’m not cool, why would he care about me? Imagine being so famous that simply by following someone on Twitter they still remember it 5 years later.
F. Just F man. Tom Petty. Bigger than the best, better than the rest. Without Elvis & Tom Petty I’m convinced music would suck and I wouldn’t be a DJ. I’ll leave you with 3 videos that always left me speechless. The Foo Fighters wouldn’t exist without Tom Petty and even Prince & Johnny Cash knew Tom Petty was the real deal. – Forrest
