Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes

Man, I'll never understand the need to take something like heroin. I'm just glad he came through it. I love the guy and his music. Would have been a massive loss.

 

Petty seems so self-consciously cool all the time I'm surprised this didn't come out earlier, if it's even true.

 

I'm not a huge Petty fan, but I really need to read this for his work with George Harrison and Bob Dylan (and Dwight Twilley??). Tom seems like a down to earth, grounded type of guy, so it does surprise me that he got involved with heroin. I suppose if you are surrounded by dealers and "friends" like most celebrities, the temptation is always there.

 

You can tell by the way he looks and acts today. It's obvious he had a rough past. Hard to believe he was using while Howie was going down the tubes. I always thought he had better judgement.

 

Apparently he talked about it in the Bogdanovich doc, but decided to have it cut out.

 

Ha! Priceless.

 

I do know he broke his hand while recording the Southern Accents album. Apparently during a coke binge and being displeased with the recording session he punched a wall.

 

pills and powders have never held any attraction for me, but I'm not a rock star - I just dress like one.

 

It`s not like he was the only musician doing it in the 90`s...

 

Come to Germany next time he plays here, no smoking in the hall in general.

 

I like his music, but come to think of it he did sound pretty dopey during the 90s. Good that he cleaned up.

 

This is news? I thought this was common knowledge, well not common, but known.

 

I'd buy a book written by him for sure.

All I know is how he said it was strange to go from wanting to be like The Animals to doing stuff produced by one of the Eurythmics, and also how the drum pattern in You Don't Know How It Feels made him leave. I saw him playing that on Letterman after this knowledge and it's obvious how much he hated it as he sang along to the chorus.

 

I liked reading their reaction to Petty after he named them that; "Tom Petty: Born to be punched" one said. The Junkies, that name would never have worked.
That was pretty sleazy of Tom taking their name.

 

man, the things one learns! I'm reminded of a similar circumstance, not not as bis a star as Tom, but the great Australian band The Church, and leader/bassist/singer Steve Kilby talks about his own dalliances with heroin in the 90s.....while i uno everyone has troubles, some maybe seem insurmountable, but jeez, the road is littered with souls who went in that direction, and didn't make it...and STILL young people DO get sucked into it........

 

It sure didn't help him any.

 

Yup. It feels good. Don't even get me started on prescription painkillers. The medical community in the US is exacerbating this problem then pretending it doesn't exist. I digress.

I'm not shocked. A little bit surprised maybe. The coke habit I don't believe is news. Nor the broken hand. I love him though. So much great great music. He's a talented dude.

 

Hey man, how much is the reward for turning him in?

 

Is he a decent writer, though? Only thing I'm aware of is his 33.3 installment on Dusty in Memphis, which IIRC got mixed reviews.

 

I remember an interview on MTV during the early 90`s he was completely out of it.I`m not judgemental or anything but I hate to see people self destruct.I hope things are better.I`ve always liked his songs over the years.

 

Whatever it is, I'll chip in another fifty..

 

I never got in the way of his professional life. He's a pot head, so that might have explained the interview.

 

This thread topic sounds like an unrealized Minutemen song title.

 

That shack is now an AirBNB!

 

I always think the same thing regarding heroin.