Tom Petty - 1950 - 2017 RIP

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Tom Petty laid to rest at California yoga shrine

AFPOctober 17, 2017

Tom Petty, pictured in 2008, was buried in a private memorial at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine (AFP Photo/Timothy A. CLARY)
Los Angeles (AFP) - Tom Petty's family and friends bid farewell to the rocker at a service in a California spiritual retreat, where his friend George Harrison's funeral took place 16 years ago.

One of Petty's daughter posted pictures of Monday's private memorial event and of the lotus-shaped archway to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, near the Pacific coast in Los Angeles County.

Petty, who died a week earlier at age 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest, in his later years practiced transcendental meditation, seeing a way to control anger after earlier abusing heroin and other drugs.

Daughter AnnaKim Violette Petty shared a series of images on Instagram including one of a small bouquet of flowers with the words, "You belong somewhere you feel free," a line from Petty's song "Wildflowers."

She also shared quirkier thoughts including an image from Petty's memorable "Alice in Wonderland"-themed video for "Don't Come Around Here No More," with the rocker surrounded by three platinum-blonde women in skin-tight black-and-white dresses.

"May you be protected by the hottest vixens in heaven," his daughter wrote, adding in a likely allusion to his song "The Waiting": "Heaven is something u feel."

Petty's representatives did not immediately comment on whether there would be an additional public event or a permanent marker for his remains.

The Florida-born rocker -- whose string of hits included "I Won't Back Down, "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl" -- died days after completing a tour to mark 40 years with his band The Heartbreakers.

Harrison, the former Beatle who joined Petty in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, was cremated at the Los Angeles shrine in 2001. The remains of Harrison, who was passionate about Hindu spiritualty, were then scattered in the holy waters outside of Varanasi, India.

The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine features a public garden with swans, wildlife and symbols of the world's major religions, with space for silent meditation and reflection.

The site was founded in 1950 by Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian spiritual teacher and author of "Autobiography of a Yogi" who was instrumental in bringing Eastern meditation to the United States.

The shrine, which was also a favorite retreat for Elvis Presley, features a sarcophagus that holds some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, India's slain independence hero and apostle of non-violence.


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official White House photograph

 

Where Tom Petty went to rest.

http://lakeshrine.org/




Come Discover the Meditation Garden and Shrines

 

I was at the Rock Hall today in Cleveland Standing by the case with Petty’s sun and moon jacket as seen on the cover of the Live Pack Up the Plantation LP. Another fan was there who attended his last shows and she shared a rather close-up video of Tom coming off the stage limping pretty badly and she expressed how concerned she was at that. It was sweet moment between strangers who love the same music.

 

I was originally going to post this in the "Southern Accents" thread but it's general and it works for all of them I guess.

I think what speaks to perhaps Tom Petty's status as one of the premiere songwriters of his or any generation, is his ability to craft characters that are vague enough, that are ambiguous enough where it coaxes his audience to play an active role in interpreting what they ultimately become. The boy with the dog collar, the vampires walking through the valley and as was pointed out a few days ago on Tom Petty Radio, we never do find out what Speedball was exactly working on in that lonely corner room. What is remarkable about Petty's writing is that in the bulk of his writing, he doesn't try to infuse his characters with traits be them positive or negative, in the end leaving that task to his listeners and I think it is in that somewhat simple gesture is why so many people feel connected to Petty's music in that he allowed us to play a role (however minuscule) in his songs.

For example "Southern Accents", has always spoken volumes to me despite the fact that I can count the number of times I've been south of the Mason/Dixie line on one hand. Petty would remark in 1985, that the stigmatism of the southeast isn't necessarily worn only by those in that particular region. There are 'Southern Australians", "Southern Englanders", "Southern Whatever". They are the mitigated, the downtrodden and forgotten. The ones who when they go to order a hamburger in a "funny accent" are looked upon as being somewhat less than human or at the very least, less than equal. Therefore, it has always baffled me as to why so many of today's country crooners cannot come to terms with Petty's harsh appraisal of their work. Surely nobody enjoys being called to task for their inadequacies but Petty's conception of the south bears little in common with the Rhinestone Cowboy with a posh pop getup and a cowboy hat that costs more than a mortgage payment. The characters of the south that Petty knew, understood and at times struggled to understand and come to terms with were neither heroic nor ones who should be sought out and emulated. They were people trying to break free not only of the region but of themselves. They tramp over their ancestral roots unwillingly tethered to the past both without consent and without a true understanding of the fate that has been handed down to them. They are as an essential part of Petty's landscapes as the trailers, dive bars and the false promises of menial work at an orange grove. Unlike so much of modern country which tends to hoist the images of the deep south up on a pedestal, Petty's landscapes embrace that culture in a much different way as they seek neither to celebrate nor romanticize but merely to claim ownership of their very existence.

Happy Birthday Tommy (postmarked Somewhere Under Heaven)

 

Happy birthday Tom.

 

Watched the entire Running Down A Dream last night with a friend in one sitting. Flew by and didn’t lag for a minute. Loved it. What a great writer and spirit.

 

Today would've been his 67th birthday.

 

I'm playing nothing but Tom with and without the Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch and Wilburys. It's a bittersweet day today.

 

This one keeps calling my name, so I'm going with it. Happy Birthday, TP!

 

SiriusXM is doing a Tom Petty birthday tribute on Tom Petty Radio right now.

 

Memories of Tom Petty (courtesy of "Tom Petty Radio" on SiriusXM):


MIKE CAMPBELL

- Campbell said that the only way Petty changed throughout was his life is his tendency to mellow out and let go of a lot of the demons/anger that fueled the early part of his career.

- Campbell gave Petty credit for sticking with the band instead of becoming a solo artist stating that Petty saw the value of being in a band and how it could push him towards success. Campbell said it was the common dream they all had is what motivated them to becoming successful.

- Campbell gives Petty credit as an innovative songwriter, being able not only to create but to take music that Campbell brought to him and transform it into something even better. Campbell states Petty's music will long outlive him.

- Campbell states that Petty soldiered on through the final tour despite issues with his hip because he was so blissfully happy with how the band was doing and the reactions from the audiences.

- Campbell says the best way to move through grief is to reach out to others who love you and that he will continue to move forward under those auspices.

KENNY CHESNEY

- Chesney encountered Petty through MTV ("Don't Come Around Here No More") and was extremely entertained and it moved him away from his dreams of playing basketball. Chesney states that Petty's music is universial and has the power to touch people everywhere.

- Chesney states the live version of "Southern Accents" translated well to the sphere of country music. The song and the documentary RDAD made Chesney feel a real kinship with Petty. Praises Petty as a communicator and for writing songs that are easily relatable to a great many people.

STEVEN TYLER

- Tyler was a fan of the "Buried Treasure" show and claims that despite the fact that listening to Petty's music since his passing has made him very emotional, he states that great music such as Petty's never leaves you. Tyler wanted to tell Petty that everything he played reminded him of where he came from or every song he ever wrote. Tyler states that the music that Petty played on "Buried Treasure" paid tribute to the music of their youth and he listens to it every day. He also states that he regrets never collaborating with Petty professionally.

- Tyler states that Petty's mantra of "Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus" and being able to write songs within those parameters was a such an amazing gift. Wishes Petty a happy birthday and thanks him for his amazing body of music.

STEVE FERRONE

- Ferrone played a gig the other night and the band he was playing with wanted to play "I Won't Back Down" but Ferrone had to excuse himself for that number because the feelings are still too raw for him to revisit Petty's songs. So he went up to the bar and watched the band play the song and despite it all, still found himself singing along with chorus.

- Ferrone tells a hilarious story of going to Tower Records with Petty on Ventura Blvd. While there, Petty encountered a fan who was a fan of the "Wildflowers" album who claimed that his favorite song on the record was the one that Petty wrote about a certain part of the female anatomy entitled "Cabin Down Below".

- Ferrone states that he was the first black member of the Heartbreakers and Mike Campbell came to him and said the Heartbreakers have a special kind of humor and stated that in case he ever heard a joke with racial overtones to not take it personally. Ferrone immediately responded by telling Campbell a particularly profound racially over toned joke. Ferrone mentions that he now sports a TP&HB logo tattoo on his forearm captioned with the phrase "Most things I worry about, never happen anyway". Ferrone says the Heartbreakers went out on top and never played better than on the last tour and thanks the fans for coming out.

JASON ISBELL

- Isbell met Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench but was shy about meeting Petty because he couldn't think of anything else to say but "I like your songs and I write songs too". States he patterns a lot of his music after Petty and always cites Petty as one of his influences when asked. He states that the song "Room At The Top" really influenced him and says it's a piece of art as it painted a picture of what Petty was going through at the time.

- Isbell states that Petty made songs very personal with details about his life that resonated in a way that was universal in a framework of classic rock and roll influences. Praises Petty's ability to take from all of his influences and appropriate it for his own needs. Isbell mentions that the Heartbreakers were so tight that mistakes on stage were rare but when they happened Petty always had a humorous way of diffusing the situation and getting the band back on track. For example, he tells a story of how one night, Scott Thurston ended up hitting a bum note and Petty lifted up his guitar up like a rifle and aimed it in Thurston's direction.

PAUL ZOLLO ("Conversations With Tom Petty")

- Zollo states that Petty's music touched many people and his popularity expanded throughout the years and cites him as a musician who truly loved his fans. Zollo states that his book started off as writing about Petty's music but as he went along he realized how much of Petty's music was tied to Petty's life. Zollo states that the simplicity of Petty's songs hides his true nature as a craftsman. Zollo also gives credit to Rick Rubin for helping Petty realize his ability as a craftsman in the way that they created the "Wildflowers" album, taking the album at gradual pace and building the album using the demos that Petty would record at his house.

STEVE CROPPER

- Cropper talks about meeting Petty during the session for "Hometown Blues" which featured Duck Dunn. He identified from the start that along with great talent, Petty had great passion and feel for music. He said right from the start Petty had potential and that people eventually gravitated towards him and that Petty carried the torch for a lot of people.

GEORGE DRAKOULIAS

- Drakoulias speaks about becoming a Tom Petty fan as a teenager and telling a girl that he was trying to pick up that he'd written a song called "Even The Losers" about his feelings for her and how his plan worked for a little while until she heard the song on the radio. He talks about working on RDAD with Peter Bogdanovich and a funny story is related about taking Bogdanovich to Bonnaroo and Bogdanovich was taken aback at how many young girls were in the crowd and he asked "Are these girls here to be with Tommy?" and then remarked that he probably got into the wrong industry. He talks about the process of working on "Playback" with Tom Petty and how they had to bake the multi-track tapes because they had begun to oxidize. Drakoulias states that Petty was extremely generous in opening up his archives and allowing him the access needed to bring a project of that scope to the public. He mentions working on "The Last DJ" with Petty and them both having the understanding that the project was going to piss a lot of people off but that Petty felt that those sentiments needed to be put out there. He talks about "Wildflowers" and how it was originally supposed to be a double album and that there were plans in place to release the original double disc version of the album this year. He says plans are still in place to release the double disc "Wildflowers", although the project is likely going to be pushed back a bit until sometime next year. The hosts then pose a very interesting question to him asking him to compare and contrast Petty's original concept for the record (double-album) versus the record that everyone knows and most consider to be his greatest record of all time. Unfortunately Drakoulias doesn't have an answer for this question. He does however relate a funny story from the "Wildflowers" sessions where whenever he would show up at a session, Petty and Campbell would break into the song "Wildflowers" and Drakoulias would ask them "Didn't we finish that one up months ago?" and they would reply that they were still working on adding miniscule overdubs to it. After a few months of this, it finally hit Drakoulias that they were ribbing him by giving him a "Groundhog Day" type experience every time he would show up at a session.

DAVID A. STEWART

- Dave talks about Petty and himself bonding over their love of the blues and The Byrds. He relates the familiar story as to how "Don't Come Around Here No More" almost became Stevie Nicks record but Petty plucked it for his record. He talks about his friendship with Petty and Petty's love for spontaneity. He says that one moment they could be laughing, rolling around on the floor of some Indian restaurant and the next they'd be on Rodeo Drive shopping for Rhinestone Cowboy outfits. He relates a story of filming an ad-libbed narrative piece with Petty where they drove around to various locations around Los Angeles and when they stopped at the Hollywood sign, they accidentally interrupted the filming of some type of cowboy film and all of the sudden they were besieged by these men on horseback and Petty simply looked at the camera and ad-libbed "Well it looks like the cavalry has finally showed up!"

ROGER MCGUINN

- McGuinn talks about his long standing friendship with Petty including familiar stories of performing with him on the "Temple In Flames" tour in 1987, writing "King Of The Hill" and inducting him into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in 2016. He recalls the familiar story about Petty defending him during the making of the "Back From Rio" album where an A/R guy tried to pass off an inferior record on him and Petty wasn't having any of it. McGuinn states that the A/R guy in question later left the business entirely and became a Buddhist monk. He mentions that it was a joy getting to collaborate with Petty recently both on stage with Mudcrutch and also on Chris Hillman's recent record which Petty produced.

- In between we get an interesting call-in from Gainesville, Florida and the caller relates seeing Petty's early groups, The Sundowners and Mudcrutch playing these early gigs around town and also relates a story about how Benmont Tench was the music director for the high school band in Gainesville.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

- Lucinda recalls the final gigs at the Hollywood Bowl. Says the atmosphere was positive and joyful. Tom mentioned to her that the Hollywood Bowl was going to fine him ten grand because he kept going over the approved time limit but he wasn't going to cut out making the chat to the audience. Williams talks about Petty going the extra mile for her early on in her career. Williams opened for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers early on and was not greeted with an enthusiastic response from the audience. So Petty realized that things weren't going well for Williams and decided to give her a boost by introducing her to his audience and putting her over with his crowd. Williams talks about finding out that Petty had recorded her song ("Change The Locks") and was over the moon that Petty had covered her song. Williams said Petty served as an example of someone who was capable of writing great rootsy songs but still capable of getting those songs on the radio. Williams also gives Petty credit for having a great comfort level when it came to writing about women without any pretensions of machismo.

- The show closes with an excerpt from Tom Petty's final interview with Randy Lewis from the L.A. Times which you can check out here:

Tom Petty's final interview: There was supposed to have been so much more

 

Thanks for that post!

I was out having beers yesterday with the same friends I saw Petty live in 2012. Bittersweet

 

McCool, thank you for taking the time to transcribe those summaries from the interviews. I caught the last third or so in the car, looking forward to hearing the rest on a repeat. It's been non-stop Tom Petty Radio for me the last few weeks.
Last night we went to a hear the Pettybreakers, s SoCal based TP tribute band and (of course) had Petty's music cranked up in the car for the ride home.

Still hard to believe he's gone.

 

Tom Petty
@tompetty
·
Oct 20

Today marks Tom's 67th birthday. Tom & the Heartbreakers road crew will gather this afternoon to celebrate Tom’s life, legacy, and birthday

 

This one is just starting to sink in

 

Just a quick question, was there ever anything released from the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tour with Dylan? I'm looking for something really good from that tour (sound quality wise), preferably on vinyl if it was ever available? Maybe there's an FM broadcast?

Thanks!

 

I've been listening all day I really am stunned at the quality of his albums all around. All his recent stuff is amazing, attention to sound quality and dynamic range no compression and beautiful amazing albums.

 

The LPs certainly sound good. If for cd or digital, be sure to find the high res masterings. Those are the best IMO!

 

SiriusXM did the birthday tribute again today.

 

I second that Thanks!

 

Nothing official to my knowledge, but there are some boots out there. Check out "Across the Borderline". Quality ain't fantastic but it's decent enough!

I also found a good collection of Petty tapings here: Tom Petty | PanicStream Misc Vault

 

I just ordered the hypnotic eye blu ray

 

There was this. I’m pretty sure it’s never come out on DVD.
Bob Dylan With Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Hard To Handle

 

Dylan played "Learning To Fly" for the last song of encore tonight.