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Tom Petty

Gainesville, FL

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rock

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Region: Southern Coastal Plain Conference: Southeast

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Did You Know

  • • Seeing The Beatles on TV at age 10 sparked Petty's rock and roll dream.
  • • Gainesville, Florida, declared January 20th "Tom Petty Day" in 2006.
  • • Mudcrutch, Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band, briefly included future Heartbreakers members.
  • • Petty co-wrote "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for Stevie Nicks, giving her a hit.
  • • His 1989 solo album, *Full Moon Fever*, was surprisingly co-written with Jeff Lynne.
  • • Petty fought MCA Records to release *Damn the Torpedoes* at its original price.
  • • He famously smashed his hand during the *Don't Come Around Here No More* music video shoot.
  • • Petty's music resonated deeply with Vietnam veterans, earning their enduring respect.
  • • He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, cementing his iconic status.
  • • Petty's songwriting style influenced countless artists, shaping modern American rock.
  • • Seeing The Beatles on TV at age 10 ignited Petty's rock and roll dream.
  • • Gainesville, Florida, shaped Petty's sound, far from typical music hubs.
  • • Mudcrutch, Petty's early band, featured future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench.
  • • "American Girl" wasn't a hit initially but became a timeless radio staple.
  • • Petty co-wrote "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" with Stevie Nicks, a massive duet.
  • • The Traveling Wilburys formed spontaneously in Bob Dylan's home studio.
  • • MTV helped propel "Don't Come Around Here No More" with its surreal Alice in Wonderland video.
  • • Petty fought record labels for artist rights, notably over album pricing in 1981.
  • • He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, cementing his legacy.
  • • Petty's songwriting style, rooted in classic rock, influenced countless artists in multiple genres.

Locations in Lyrics

26 location references across 16 songs

Songs & Places

Free Fallin’
Los Angeles, CA San Fernando Valley, CA Reseda, CA Memphis, TN Tupelo, MS
"It's a long day livin' in Reseda"
Free Fallin'
Gainesville, FL Los Angeles, CA
Crawling Back to You
Los Angeles, CA
"Down into Los Angeles"
Honey Bee
Detroit, MI Milwaukee, WI Pomona, CA
"Her monkey hand and a Rambler sedan"
A Face in the Crowd
another town the street
American Girl
Gainesville, FL
It’s Good to Be King
your own little town
Runnin' Down a Dream
Gainesville, FL
Time to Move On
Airport Love land
Walls (circus)
island
"And all around your island"
Wildflowers
sea
"You belong in a boat out at sea"
You Wreck Me
high school trouble town
Zombie Zoo
Zombie Zoo
Won't Back Down
Gainesville, FL
Drivin' Down to Georgia
Georgia
"Look at them peaches down in Georgia / Red clay peaches hangin' on a tree"
A Mind with a Heart of Its Own
Brooker, FL Micanopy, FL St. Louis, MO
"Well I been to Brooker and I been to Micanopy"

Rivers & Roads in Song Nearby

U.S. Route 441 3 Suwannee River 4 Interstate 10 36

Connected Places

Gainesville, FL Los Angeles, CA Milwaukee, WI Pomona, CA Reseda, CA
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