Rock Star Tom Petty Dead At 66
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Rock and roll legend Tom Petty died Monday night, at 66 years old, surrounded by friends, family, and bandmates.
Petty, best known as the frontman for Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers, suffered cardiac arrest at his California home late Sunday night, and was taken to UCLA Medical Center. He could not be revived, and died Monday night, several hours after he was removed from life support.
His family posted a statement on Petty's Twitter page.
Petty played Wrigley Field on June 29 as part of his 40th anniversary tour.
Petty formed his band 'Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers" in the mid 1970s and his third album "Damn The Torpedoes" made him a superstar, with hits "Don't Do Me Like That" "Here Comes My Girl" and 'Refugee."
WXRT's Marty Lennartz recalled two of his favorite Tom Petty shows:
Among my favorite Petty concerts are the two times I saw him play Bonnaroo in 2006 and 2013. Both times he really got into the Bonnaroo vibe by acknowledging that he was there to "jam". Unlike many artists who play that festival, he knew where he was that night.
2006 was my first "Roo" and I watched the set from the risers next to the stage giving me a birds eye view of the sea of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Petty and Heartbreakers gave the crowd what it wanted by extending songs into longer jams than usual and then floored everyone when he brought Stevie Nicks out for "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." Stevie stayed and became his back up on a number of other songs including a long version of the F-Mac classic, "Oh Well"
Petty played his last show last Monday, performing three sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl to conclude their 40th anniversary tour. The band wrote on their website that the tour included 53 shows in 24 states.
Petty also took part in the 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.
