Reflecting on the one year anniversary of Tom Petty’s death

by Josh Tidd, Reporter

On September 28, a box set of 60 Tom Petty songs (with 10 previously unreleased tracks) will be available to music lovers everywhere.  I’m hoping the vinyl set is under my Christmas tree this year.  The box set, “An American Treasure” is an appropriate title for one of my favorite musicians.

On October 2 2017, rock musician Tom Petty passed away due to an accidental overdose. He was 66. When I heard the news I was working a shift at the firehouse and was very upset for the rest of the night. A lot of the other volunteers around me were sad as well.

Petty influenced music with his big hit “Free Fallin” and songs with The Heartbreakers like “American Girl.” Petty recieved many awards for his music, including a spot in the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. He also won a Grammy award in 1996 for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.” Many artists have covered Petty’s music, including Johnny Cash covering “Southern Accent” and Def Leppard covering “American Girl.”

Petty inspired me because after hearing his music I decided I wanted to play guitar, so I have been learning all of his songs. He also inspired me to continue to play and work harder in music.

Petty’s Death shocked so many people worldwide. Many performed tributes to the rock legend including Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones and Elton John and many more famous artists.

The famous rock musician Mick Jagger said, “So sad about Tom Petty, He made some great music.”

“Tom Petty’s music and songs are timeless. He was a wonderful writer, musician and singer. Irreplaceable and unique,” Elton John stated on Twitter.

Petty was a great person and was loved by many.

Petty has influenced many modern bands. He strongly influenced The Strokes , Sam Smith and other modern artists. They did covers of his songs which turned out to be big hits.  There is thousands of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers cover bands out in the world. Including a famous band named “Refugee” after his hit song.

On one of his last tours with The Heartbreakers, Petty had a fractured hip but that did not stop him from going out on stage and doing what he loved. Petty did the whole tour with a fractured hip and never stopped. That is why Petty is so inspirational.

Petty’s music puts me in a good mood. I love his lyrics they are very inspirational and timeless. My favorite song is “Refugee” because I really like the lyrics he uses in that song and I also like the guitar solo.

A year ago, the world lost a great musician.