Free fallin' with Petty

Rock legend ready to light up Southwest Florida tonight
By MARK KRZOS, mkrzos@news-press.com

The consistency of hits that have poured out of Tom Petty for four decades are unrivaled in rock music.

On nearly every album he’s released since the mid-1970s, Petty has had at least one song crack the Top 20.

Perhaps even more stunning is that, while popular musical tastes have changed from rock to disco to punk to heavy metal to hip-hop, Petty’s sound has remained relatively unchanged.

“He’s a true classic rocker in the same vein as a Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger,” said Mud, program director for The Arrow 94.5-FM.

Petty, 50, will perform with the Heartbreakers and opening act and leader of the Staples Singers, Mavis Staples, at TECO Arena at 8 p.m. tonight.

George Lawson, an Estero resident and rooms manager for the Quality Inn Golf Resort in Golden Gate, can’t wait.

“I’ve been a fan of his since I was 12 years old,” he said. “I just want to see him play some old stuff. I don’t care what it is. It’s all great.”

If you could combine all the best things about American rock ’n’ roll and throw it into a pot, the artist stepping out of the stew would be Petty, Mud said.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers formed in 1975, but their roots are planted among ’60s-era folk rockers Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn.

In the 1970s, Petty became the South’s answer to the Northeast’s Springsteen, the Midwest’s Seger and the West Coast’s Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.

Born in Gainesville, Petty became interested in rock music after meeting Elvis in 1961. Years later, he quit high school at 17 to join Mudcrutch — one of the state’s top bands at the time — and follow his dream.

Mudcrutch broke up after moving to Los Angeles in search of a record contract.

Petty didn’t give up and was soon offered a solo recording contract by Shelter Records.
Nothing came of it until 1975.

Petty got together with future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch after hearing a demo they had released. The five joined up, and Petty used his Shelter Records contract and released his eponymous debut album.

Initially, the album sold poorly, but it gained steam after a tour.

It wasn’t the South — or even the United States where Petty first found success. As an opening act for Nils Lofgren in England, Petty and the Heartbreakers floored the Brits, and the album soared up the British charts.

The song “Breakdown” was then re-released in the U.S. and broke into the Top 40 almost a year after its initial release.

Throughout the next several years, Petty became one of rock’s elite performers. In 1979, Petty and the Heartbreakers released “Damn the Torpedoes,” which is one of the most critically acclaimed records of all time.

The album, bolstered by hits such as “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That,” sold nearly three million copies and made it to No. 2 on the charts.

Petty’s hits didn’t stop coming, unlike those by his rock heroes, Dylan and McGuinn.

“When he releases an album, you know it’s going to have at least one hit,” said local fan Kevin Staszak.

Staszak, general manager for the Cleveland Avenue Boston Market, has tickets to tonight’s concert and considers Petty to be the quintessential American rocker. “He’s a very talented musician,” he said. “I’ve been a big fan for quite a few years.”

Throughout the early-to-mid 80s, Petty continued to flourish with hits such as “The Waiting,” “You Got Lucky,” and a duet with Stevie Nicks called “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which rose to No. 3.

Later in the decade, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” reached No. 13, and “Free Fallin’” went to No. 7.

“Free Fallin’” was recently ranked No. 39 by VH-1 in its list of the “100 Greatest Songs of All-Time.”

In 2002, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.