Legendary rocker Tom Petty has passed away. He was found at his home in Malibu, California unconscious on Sunday night after having suffered cardiac arrest. He was placed on life support at the hospital but sadly did not survive. He was just 66 years old. Petty has been making music for over forty years, has sold over 80 million records and is one of the best selling music artists of all time. He was just touring with his band and did his last show on Monday. This comes as a great shock to so many of us who grew up listening and relating to his music. Petty is survived by his wife, Dana York Epperson, and his two daughters from his first marriage, Adria and AnnaKim Violett.

“It’s shocking, crushing news,” Petty’s friend and Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan tells Rolling Stone in a statement. “I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.”

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recently completed a summer tour last Monday with three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. The trek marked the band’s 40th anniversary and found him playing rarely played deep cuts like their first album’s opener, “Rockin’ Around (With You),” and a selection of Wildflowers cuts. It was intended to be his “last trip around the country.” He told Rolling Stone, though, that it wasn’t his intention to quit playing. “I need something to do, or I tend to be a nuisance around the house,” he said.

In the late Seventies, Petty’s romanticized tales of rebels, outcasts and refugees started climbing the pop charts. When he sang, his voice was filled with a heartfelt drama that perfectly complemented the Heartbreakers’ ragged rock & roll. Songs like “The Waiting,” “You Got Lucky,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Learning to Fly” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” all dominated Billboard’s rock chart, and the majority of Petty’s albums have been certified either gold or platinum. His most recent release, Hypnotic Eye, debuted at Number One in 2014. Petty, who also recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

[From Rolling Stone]

I asked Corey for help with this story as she’s a huge fan of Petty’s and I knew she would want to add her condolences. Corey wrote “I grew up with Tom Petty, drawing his band’s logo on my notebooks in school. In college, I was able to see him perform live, and it was a show I never forgot. As a Florida girl, I always took pride in knowing I was from the same state as Tom. He will definitely be missed but I know his music will live forever.” I could not put it better. RIP Tom, thank you for giving us your music and your one-of-a-kind voice.

Update 2: Tom Petty’s manager has confirmed his death. He issued a statement that Petty “suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8:40pm PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.”

Update: After multiple news outlets reported this story, The LAPD is reporting that it cannot confirm Petty’s death. TMZ has reported that Petty had a do not resuscitate order and was removed from life support earlier today.

(1/2)The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertantly provided to some media sources

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017

(2/2) However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017

“Learning to Fly”

“Free Fallin'”

“Don’t Come Around Here No More”

“Runnin Down a Dream”

“The Waiting”

“Stop Dragging My Heart Around”

“Yer So Bad”

photos credit: WENN, PRPhotos and Pacific Coast News