Tom Petty Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Tom Petty
Tom Petty, portrait, New York, 1977. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Tom Petty
Tom Petty was an American musician, known for his solo work and as the leader of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty also formed the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne. Famous Tom Petty songs include "Free Fallin'," "American Girl," and "I Won't Back Down." The musician died in 2017 at the age of 66.
News
2 years ago
Where Are Tom Petty’s Kids Now?
News
2 years ago
Tom Petty Felt Duped When He First Heard His Duet With Stevie Nicks on ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’
News
2 years ago
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Documentaries to Watch if You Love the Band
News
2 years ago
Tom Petty Once Revealed Why He Never Talked About Being Friends with The Beatles: ‘I Don’t Like to Bring it Up’
News
2 years ago
Tom Petty Called 1 Elvis Presley Song ‘High Art’

classic rock

A black and white picture of John Lennon wearing a tie and sitting in front of a wall with floral wallpaper.

Music

John Lennon Challenged Americans for Hypocritical Outrage Over 1 Beatles Album

John Lennon didn't think Americans had a right to protest one Beatles album cover. Here's why he objected to their objections.

by Emma McKee

Published on June 22, 2025

2 min read

A black and white picture of Bruce Springsteen standing in front of a microphone with an electric guitar.

Music

Bruce Springsteen Admitted He Was ‘Filled With Arrogance’ When He Started Work on 1 Album

Bruce Springsteen's career wasn't taking off in the way he'd hoped. He decided he needed to write something spectacular.

by Emma McKee

A black and white picture of John Lennon and Paul McCartney sitting on a couch together. They wear suits.

Music

Paul McCartney Listed the Reasons He Loved John Lennon in a Rare Letter Worth Thousands

John Lennon and Paul McCartney had a complicated relationship. McCartney listed all the reasons he loved Lennon in a letter worth thousands.

by Emma McKee

Taylor Swift Said Her Duet With Stevie Nicks Was a ‘Bad Night’ for Her

Taylor Swift's singing raised eyebrows during a duet with Stevie Nicks. Swift shared why she was so off-key during the performance.

by Emma McKee

Published on April 17, 2025

2 min read

Wearing a white lacy gown, Stevie Nicks performs on December 10, 1983, on 'Saturday Night' Live

Notable People

Stevie Nicks Said 2 Iconic Musicians Taught Her How to ‘Spend Money’

Stevie Nicks befriended two musicians in the 1970s. She shared what she learned from them.

by Emma McKee

Stevie Nicks wears a black dress and holds a microphone in one hand.

Notable People

Stevie Nicks Is ‘Not Looking Forward’ to Being ‘Hatefully’ Old

Stevie Nicks said she doesn't look forward to being in her 90s. She shared what she thinks she'll be like when she's that age.

by Emma McKee

Val Kilmer Felt Like an ‘Idiot’ After an Awkward Meeting With Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan loved the movie 'Tombstone.' Because of this, his meeting with Val Kilmer went off the rails.

by Emma McKee

Published on April 7, 2025

2 min read

Val Kilmer wears a red poo and a hat and sits with Bob Dylan, who wears a leather jacket, blond wig, and gray beanie.

Notable People

Val Kilmer Felt ‘so Bad’ About the Way His 1st Meeting With Bob Dylan Went

Bob Dylan and Val Kilmer became friends. Their first meeting didn't set a good tone for their relationship, though.

by Emma McKee

A black and white picture of of Bob Dylan wearing a collared shirt and jacket.

Notable People

A Naked Director Made Bob Dylan Highly Uncomfortable on the Set of His 1st Film

Bob Dylan arrived on set for a film. He found the director in a bathtub, demanding that Dylan play guitar for everyone.

by Emma McKee

Tom Petty Got Back at Stevie Nicks by Stealing 1 of Her Songs

Stevie Nicks planned to release a song but Tom Petty snatched it from her. Here's why this was payback from something she previously did.

by Emma McKee

Music

Tom Petty Felt Duped When He First Heard His Duet With Stevie Nicks on ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’

Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty collaborated on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." the song wasn't what Petty expected, and he felt duped.

by Emma McKee

Tom Petty, Sir Paul McCartney, and others attend George Harrison's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2009

Music

Tom Petty Once Revealed Why He Never Talked About Being Friends with The Beatles: ‘I Don’t Like to Bring it Up’

Tom Petty had a close relationship with The Beatles -- and a lengthy friendship with Beatles member George Harrison. Interestingly, though, he doesn't like to talk about it.

by Julia Mullaney

Notable People

Where Are Tom Petty’s Kids Now?

Tom Petty had two children in his first marriage and became a stepfather in his second. Here's what his adult children are doing now.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

7 Musicians’ Reactions to Tom Petty’s Death: ‘My Heart Will Never Get Over This’

Tom Petty's death in 2017 devastated the music community. Here are seven musicians who reacted to his sudden death, whether they knew him or not.

by Emma McKee

What to Watch

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Documentaries to Watch if You Love the Band

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been featured in several documentaries over the years. Here are 4 that fans of the group should watch.

by Emma McKee

Tom Petty performs during the 'A Very Special Christmas' TV special in 2000. Petty hid an easter egg on his holiday song 'Christmas All Over Again' with help from a friend.

Music

Tom Petty Hid an Easter Egg on His Holiday Song ‘Christmas All Over Again’

Tom Petty gave keen-eared listeners an easter egg on 'Christmas All Over Again' with the help of one of his longtime collaborators.

by Jason Rossi

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers original members

Music

The 5 Original Members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Here are details about the original members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and various lineup changes over the years.

by Rose Burke

Notable People

Tom Petty Said Ringo Starr Was an ‘Incredibly Creative Drummer’

Tom Petty and Ringo Starr became friends. Petty said that Starr was a creative drummer who would always be welcome to play with him.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Tom Petty Wanted to Release a ‘Worst Of’ Album

Tom Petty was a successful musician for decades. He had many hits, but some songs that were never released. He wanted to compile them on an album.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Stevie Nicks Considered Changing an Album Name, but Tom Petty Called the Title Song ‘an Epic’

Stevie Nicks would have changed her solo album's title if the title song wasn't good enough. She decided to keep it after a compliment from Tom Petty.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Tom Petty Was Worried About Romanticizing Drug Use in His Biography

Tom Petty was concerned about romanticizing drug use in his biography. He didn't want to release the book if it did.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Bob Dylan’s Son Didn’t Think He Was the Right Person to Induct Tom Petty Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Bob Dylan's son needed to be convinced to induct Tom Petty into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even though he had always admired Petty.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Tom Petty Forgot the Words to 1 of His Most Famous Songs in Front of an Audience

Tom Petty was singing one of his popular songs for the first time in years. He explained that he completely forgot the words very quickly into the song.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

The Eagles’ Don Felder Gave a Teenage Tom Petty Guitar Lessons

A teenage Tom Petty didn't want to be a bass player, so he turned to Don Felder for help. Felder taught him to play guitar.

by Emma McKee

Notable People

Tom Petty Changed His Name When He Became Famous

Tom Petty decided to alter his name when he became famous. He realized that what he usually went by would look bad on his albums.

by Emma McKee

Musician Tom Petty sits on a chair while smoking a cigarette at his home in 1985

Notable People

Tom Petty’s House Suffered Wildly Destructive Parties, a SWAT Raid, Arson, and More

Over the years, Tom Petty's house suffered an unfortunate series of events including a fire, wild parties, and even a SWAT raid.

by Amanda Landwehr

Music

Tom Petty Had a Bizarre Job Before Becoming Famous

Tom Petty might be one of the most well-known musicians of his time, but he made ends meet in a bizarre way before becoming famous.

by Julia Mullaney