WUFT's Morning Edition host Glenn Richards recently spoke with Tom Petty’s eldest daughter – director, editor, art director and artist, Adria Petty. Since her father’s untimely passing in 2017, she and Petty Legacy have been closely involved in curating a series of outstanding posthumous releases and boxed sets: 2018’s An American Treasure, 2019’s The Best of Everything, 2020’s Wildflowers & All the Rest, and 2021’s Angel Dream.
The latest was released on Friday, November 25: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Live at the Fillmore (1997), produced by Ryan Ulyate and Mike Campbell and executive producers Benmont Tench, Adria Petty, Annakim Petty and Dana Petty. There’s a 3 LP / 2 CD version replicating what it was like to experience one of the 20 nights that they played the legendary San Francisco venue where they were nicknamed the "Fillmore House Band."
There’s also a comprehensive box set featuring 58 songs, 35 of which are covers representing some of the music that inspired the band in their formative years. Artists like Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers, the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Bill Withers, Van Morrison, and long-time band favorite, J.J. Cale. Their version of Cale’s classic “Call Me The Breeze,” – also famously covered by fellow Floridians Lynyrd Skynyrd – features a hand-illustrated video directed by Emmy Award-winning animator Jeff Scher. The album also features special guest performances with The Byrds’ front man Roger McGuinn and blues legend John Lee Hooker.
Adria Petty and the extended Petty family were also in attendance at the inaugural Tom Petty Day at the University of Florida’s sold out LSU game on October 15. 100% of the proceeds from sales of the “Tom Petty Day x Florida Collection” of merchandise will be donated to Kids Count of Alachua County and Family Promise of Gainesville. Additional recipients include Gainesville Thrives and a $25,000 Donation from Adria Petty to the Cade Museum in memory of her father.
Glenn Richards and Adria Petty spoke for over 40 minutes and the full conversation will be available soon on WUFT.org. This excerpt was heard on Friday’s Morning Edition on WUFT. It begins by discussing how Tom Petty Day came to be.
