Tom Petty, Rock Music Star, Passes Away

Tom Petty, the American singer and songwriter, a star of rock music and creator of "American Girl" and "Learning to Fly," passed away on Monday from a heart attack at a hospital in Los Angeles. Tom Petty was a creative, successful, and beloved figure, whether with the Heartbreakers, alongside the Traveling Wilburys, where he sang with legends like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison, or in his solo performances. His spokesperson announced on the evening of Monday, October 1st, that the 66-year-old artist had suffered a heart attack at home on Sunday and was transferred to the hospital. He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage and a stepson from his second marriage. At the age of ten, Tom Petty met Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," and was influenced by him. Shortly after, he saw the Beatles on television, and his future path was set. In the 1970s, Tom Petty gained global fame with the Heartbreakers and in the 1980s, two years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, he performed in East Berlin with Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds) for nearly 81,000 people. A year later, his first solo album achieved platinum status five times, awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over two million copies. In 2002, Tom Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the following years, he released several pop-style works and even worked in film music. Just days before his death, Tom Petty had completed a series of concerts with the Heartbreakers to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's formation, which he stated was intended to be a farewell tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he explained that all the band members were over sixty, and this would be their last concert tour, although he mentioned he did not intend to completely abandon music. CBS News reported the rock icon's passing a few hours before his death, citing an anonymous source from the police department, which caused some media confusion regarding the health status of the creator of "Learning to Fly." Many other media outlets around the world republished the news, and Rolling Stone immediately interviewed Bob Dylan about Petty and published a tribute to the rock star.