Rock on, Tom Petty!

[ER]

Anyone want to share a memory or thought about this icon, who even as he lay dying decided "I won't back down" and gave death a wrestling match?

The best Tom Petty concert I went to was in the summer of 2005. I don't know if he and the Heartbreakers ever gave a bad performance in their lives, they were always good, but this one was the best because of the bravery it took to give us that show instead of doing the safe thing, calling it off and disappointing the 20,000 of us who'd gathered.

You see, it was at this outdoor venue called Riverbend, and the stage itself lay in the best of times about a football field's distance from the Ohio River, and that night a flood warning was in effect and the waters were rising visibly so that when Tom Petty took the stage the current was maybe fifty feet behind him, and when he left later that night after six---count 'em, six---encores, the water was touching the stage's far side.

We all cheered til our throats were raw, appreciative of what he and the band were doing for us, that night too, not backing down.

Tom Petty was a great one, and when I heard the grim news yesterday I just could not quite believe it.

Rock on, Tom Petty, rock on....

[Trevor]

The first song I ever heard from him was You Got Lucky: I will always remember the song and the post apocalyptic video that went with it.

RIP.

[Alex]

I remember watching the video for 'Don't Come Around Here No More', as part of live aid. For some reason watching that video always used to make me feel sick as a child, although I could never manage to figure out why, but I loved the song.

Never got to see him live, although one of the first times me and Kristi planned to meet up it was to go to a show he was doing in New Orleans. Unfortunately work sent me somewhere else in the world and I missed my chance.

[RCMerchant]

I didn't know he died. Sad. Tom Petty was one of Tara Sue's favorites.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Which is probably why one of the local radio stations is playing Petty's music all this weekend.

R.I.P. Tom. Wherever you are.