Tag Archives: Tom Petty

Six months after Glenn Richards’ conversation with Jason Hedges about his band’s debut album, Jason (also frontman of the Petty tribute band, Heavy Petty) would be organizing a concert to celebrate the life and legacy of Gainesville’s Tom Petty, who passed away unexpectedly on October 2nd. Two years later, that original event – held over what would have been Petty’s 67th birthday – has grown into the Tom Petty Birthday Weekend featuring multiple events across the city including two music festivals.

Tom Leadon says he's looking forward to seeing family, friends, and fans when he returns to Gainesville to celebrate Tom Petty's birthday: “It’s going to be very emotional for me. He was my closest friend that I ever had.”

On speaking at UF Zanes said, “When the call comes from Gainesville, I pick up, because you can’t tell the Tom Petty story without going to Gainesville. It’s a special place.” On Tom Petty's untimely death: "“I didn’t think Jerry Lee Lewis was still going to be alive and Tom Petty wasn’t going to be here. I was just looking forward to those records...."

Sandy Stringfellow said he was “the first official roadie” for Mudcrutch, a forerunner band to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.