A gifted songwriter as well as a rock star of the highest order, Tom Petty
bridged the gap between new wave and classic rock and became one of the most
well-liked and successful musical artists of his time. Born October 20, 1950 in
Gainseville, Florida, he decided to be a rock and roll star after the one-two
punch of meeting Elvis Presley in 1961 and seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan
Show in 1964. After a number of early bands including Mudcrutch, he solidified a
backing group dubbed The Heartbreakers with guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist
Benmont Tench, drummer Stan Lynch...