Tom Petty Gets His Three-Decade Old Band Back Together

A BAND of five middle-aged men was warming up for rehearsal in a cluttered one-room studio, bashing out an unadorned version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Two men, both named Tom, stepped to the microphones to harmonize on the song's chorus. The clean-shaven one, playing rhythm guitar, spends most of his days working as a music teacher in suburban Nashville. The bearded, bass-playing Tom is one of the biggest rock stars in the world, who has sold more than 50 million records, has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and was most recently seen headlining the halftime show at the Super Bowl.

Thirty-two years after the band broke up, Tom Petty has reassembled Mudcrutch, the group he started in his native Gainesville, Fla., and moved to Los Angeles, seeking stardom. Mudcrutch didn't hit it big back in the 1970s, but out of the band's ashes Mr. Petty created the Heartbreakers, who have generated a staggering stream of hits for three decades.

The rhythm guitarist practicing today, Tom Leadon, quit Mudcrutch in 1972 while the band was still playing bars in Gainesville, taking a losing bet on making it in California. Now, however, he's gearing up for his slot on a sold-out tour.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[JulieinVT]

When I lived in Florida in the early '80's, Petty & the Heartbreakers were one of my favorite bands to go see. I've never stopped loving them. Leave it to Tom to go back to his roots and put together more good music. He's personifies what a cool cat IS.

[PlanetKansas]

Tom Petty didn't let the fame go to his head, and gave his old friends a chance to share in his fortune.

I would see them in KC if they were playing someplace smaller. Great bar bands like this just don't sound as great in corporate basketball arenas.

[loki]

I really like Tom Petty and the Hand Breakers. I am glad they are going to try the geriatrics reunion bandwagon like so many others have. Joking aside though, I really am glad they are coming back.

I did find it funny though a few months ago. My 2 youngest daughters really like the animated movie BarnYard, and the Petty song in it " Wont Back Down" sang by Ben the Cow (Sam Elliot). So I broke out the Petty Cd and played that for them. Neither one of them liked it. They both said it sounds like he is whining! * lol* Kids. they just dont know quality music these days. They are use to super processed, mixed, manipulated vocals that can make a pig fart sound like a accomplished vocalist.

[visualizechimpeachment]

Nice that the two guys who quit the band 35 years ago get a shot at the big time. Also dig that TP plays bass in this band and Benmont gets to sing for a change. I'll buy it.

[BigFootJesus]

Tom Petty is a class act. Looking forward to the record.

[fermata]

classy enough to have his publicist pay for a ring tone banner ad on the same webpage as the article... since no one actually buys albums anymore

[SayonaraSnot]

LOL, you have no idea how Google Adwords work, ha ha ha ha ha

[Gasparilla]

Petty is one of the true talents of American music.

[fermata]

yeah, like bush is one of history's great leaders...

this hum-n-strummer has a few catchies... but c'mon... really???

don't you think america can do a little bit better??? isn't america about innovation and
leading the way?? the problems of any nation are reflected in its music... and while i
honestly have nothing against tom petty, he would probably be the first to admit that he
isn't a great virtuoso.

i guess i'm just livin' like a refugee.... but seeing one dinosaur after another brush off the mothballs for another round of the same three chords gets tedious

subtle for precedent

[Gasparilla]

Your problem seems to be with "dinosaurs" touring, so my advice is don't go. I don't think Petty would claim to be a great musician, songwriter, or singer, and I did not claim he was. But put it all together and it is great music.

[fermata]

my issue is that the whole aesthetic idea of rock music somehow
doesn't mesh with aging bands. there is no question that the rolling
stones or tom petty et al wrote great songs, can play their instruments
fairly well, and are popular, but i'm sure if you asked these same people
when they were younger how they would feel about the current state of
music in the US today, i would think they'd agree with me.

i'm not saying that these bands don't have the right to tour or do whatever
they want, its just sad somehow that while their careers were built on youth
rebellion, their staying power is largely enabled by their ability to bank roll
adverstising and concert space.

there is no need to put much energy into new younger music, since these older bands are a sure thing. get my drift?

people were excited by tom petty's early sound because it was different,
30 years later, and it just isn't so different anymore...

its even laudable that he put on the dudes that helped him start out...

but isn't it time to move on some??

[VungTauVet]

What exactly was it that you did?

[67bug]

Love these guys and I'm glad I got to see them back in the day. I wish we still had the Traveling Wilburys.