Tom Petty<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nPerhaps no celebrity death this year, musician or not, impacted as many people as Tom Petty’s did, serving as a testament to just how influential his music has been not only in America but worldwide.\u00a0 Petty succumbed to cardiac arrest just weeks shy of his 67th birthday in October, shortly after his last tour had finished.\u00a0 His music was and is pure Americana, often featuring simple, heart felt lyrics that had a personal touch to them combined with passionate guitar work and melodies.\u00a0 Starting with his first band Mudcrutch in Florida and ending with his long time backing band and friends The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty’s music spanned generations and served as inspiration to aspiring song writers everywhere.\u00a0 It’s hard not to even know a Petty tune as song like “Free Fallin,” “Running Down a Dream,” and “American Girl” have been thoroughly infused into popular culture, proving that his music not only spanned generations but tastes as well.\u00a0 Even if you weren’t a huge fan, odd’s are that there’s at least one Tom Petty song you know and like.\u00a0 Petty was fittingly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and leaves us with an enormous musical catalog to remember him by.<\/p>\n
Here’s a clip from Petty’s final show at the Hollywood Bowl in September, showing that he still had plenty of speed on his fastball and, in a way, went out on top.<\/p>\n