- Biography
From the first ringing notes of “American Girl” from their debut album in 1976, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers— Mike Campbell (guitars), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Ron Blair (bass) and Stan Lynch (drums)— resoundingly established themselves as a musical force to be reckoned with. Through the next 40 years filled with hit singles, classic albums and countless shows before millions of fans, Petty and the band earned their stature as one of the world’s most popular, acclaimed and influential rock’n’roll bands of all time.
In tribute to Tom Petty, who tragically passed away in 2017, Universal has recently paid tribute to this consummate songwriter, musician and performer with The Best Of Everything, a definitive career-spanning compilation. Comprised of 38 tracks with the Heartbreakers, his solo albums and with the reformed Mudcrutch (Petty’s, Campbell’s and Tench’s pre-Heartbreakers band), The Best Of Everything features “Breakdown,” Refugee,” “The Waiting,” “Listen To Her Heart,” “You Got Lucky,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “Free Fallin’,” “Learning To Fly,” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “You Wreck Me,” “Saving Grace” and dozens more. The album closes fittingly with the recently discovered “For Real,” a poignant look back by an artist whose entire professional life was imbued with unwavering authenticity and uncompromising integrity.
With an incomparable body of work and a legacy program curated by Tom’s bandmates, family and artistic collaborators, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will continue to bring joy and meaning to fans the world over for many years to come.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, and Tom was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are:
Tom Petty – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards
Mike Campbell – lead and rhythm guitar, bass
Benmont Tench – keyboards, backing vocals
Ron Blair – bass, backing vocals (1976–1982, 2002–2017)
Stan Lynch – drums, backing vocals (1976–1994)
Howie Epstein – bass, guitars, backing vocals (1982–2002; died 2003)
Steve Ferrone – drums (1994–2017)
Scott Thurston – guitars, keyboards, harmonica, bass, backing vocals (1991–2017)
