Born October 20, died October 2, (1950–2017) Tom Petty remains legendary in the world of iconic musicians. Fans were shocked when Petty was rushed to the hospital after cardiac arrest during October of 2017, only to pass away within hours.
The musically-inclined American songwriter and performer was a talented multi-instrumentalist, and had known he would sing before picking up his first guitar.
"Petty knew that he wanted to be in a band. Eventually he learned to play guitar. And of course, if you played guitar, you needed to sing." —via Marc O'Hara, The Unique Guitar Blog
There's no mistaking the originality of the songwriting and sound of Tom Petty . . . such that draws listeners into his realm of storytelling. Such creativity and novelty kept fans interested over decades of performance.
The artist's conception stage regarding each piece often involved a character-driven perspective that brought focus and direction to his writing. Hence, much of his work parlayed well into the world of music video during its high time—primarily throughout the 1980s and mid-90s. These videos featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers continue to be some of the most popular, as evidenced by the number of YouTube plays alone.
Perhaps the kind of attention to detail regarding the perceptions of the other as required for character writing lent to Petty's acumen pertaining to business. Petty was about as well-tuned to success in the realm of business dealings, including copyright trespass and dispute—if not professionally, then by virtue of will and determination to not be rooked by those in power over him and his fellow musicians.
Despite any inherent naivety common to initial, impassioned forays into professional landscapes (be they music, art, or any venue where an individual or group has a product they need to sell in order to get by financially) Petty was able to overcome some of the most potentially damaging steps over his and bandmates' best interests.
One example of such struggle would be the kind of notorious actions taken by big labels with little consideration for the artist, such as in Petty's case by ABC/MCA in their own respective best interests which overlooked those of Petty and company. Creatives of any kind can gain inspiration from Petty's legendary handling of artistic rights. As well, Petty's realism toward freedom of expression instills respect.
Take, for example, the case of Tom Petty vs. Sam Smith wherein Petty's "I won't back down" and Smith's "Stay With Me" turned out with distinctly similar sound. Although there was cause for official address, Petty never harbored ill will toward Smith regarding what Petty deemed a casual "accident" of music production.
Similarly, when the Red Hot Chili Peppers presented "Dani California" to audiences, many noticed significant similarity between it and Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance". This particular scenario never culminated in any legal action, because Petty refused to believe that there was any "negative intent" behind the incorporation of sounds similar to those orchestrated by Petty at a previous time.
These instances are representative of the positive vibe generally associated with the work of Tom Petty, witnessed by millions and likely instilled into the hearts of fans.
REF:
O'Hara, Marc. "Tom Petty - His Life and Guitars." The Unique Guitar Blog, uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2017/10/tom-petty-his-life-and-guitars.html.
"Op-Ed: That Time Tom Petty Wouldn't Back Down." Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2017, www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-jules-how-tom-petty-took-on-the-music-industry-20171010-story.html.
Stone, R. (2017, October 3). The 10 Greatest Tom Petty Music Videos. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-10-greatest-tom-petty-music-videos-121611/mary-janes-last-dance-1993-122794/
Kreps, D. (2015, January 29). Read Tom Petty's Statement on Sam Smith Settlement. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tom-petty-on-sam-smith-settlement-no-hard-feelings-these-things-happen-35541/
FURTHER READING:
What's Come Out About Tom Petty Since He Died
https://www.grunge.com/144335/whats-come-out-about-tom-petty-since-he-died/
Tom Petty Save Rock N' Roll from the 80s
https://blog.discmakers.com/2017/10/tom-petty-saved-rock-n-roll/
These Tom Petty Quotes Will Remind You of How Powerful the Musician's Words Truly Were
https://www.bustle.com/p/these-tom-petty-quotes-will-remind-you-of-how-powerful-the-musicians-words-truly-were-2755068
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