Tom Petty obituary

American singer, songwriter and guitarist who found fame with the Heartbreakers in the 1970s

Heartbreakers frontman Tom Petty – a life in pictures

Last week the rock star Tom Petty, who has died after suffering a cardiac arrest aged 66, and his band, the Heartbreakers, completed a trio of acclaimed shows at the Hollywood Bowl on their 40th anniversary tour, which had also brought them to Hyde Park in London in July. Those recent concerts found the group roving across their entire career, featuring tracks from their 1976 debut album such as American Girl and Breakdown and pieces from their latest album, Hypnotic Eye, which was their first to become a US No 1. They ranged through landmarks such as Refugee, Don’t Come Around Here No More and chart favourites such as Mary Jane’s Last Dance and Learning to Fly. They also found room for Petty’s solo hits from his 1989 album Full Moon Fever, such as I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’ and Runnin’ Down a Dream.

Petty had accepted that time was catching up with him and could not foresee further giant tours in future. “We’re all on the backside of our 60s,” he told Rolling Stone. “I have a granddaughter who I would like to see as much of as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road.”

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