Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tickets

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers News and Information Tom Petty has amassed an incredible catalogue of hits over his career, many of which are still a staple on adult contemporary and classic rock radio as a prototype for many of the rockers to follow.

Petty grew up in Florida, where he met Elvis Presley at the age of 10 and became interested in rock and roll. When The Beatles crossed the pond, it was another inspiration that made him realize he was meant to pursue a music career- he has said that he wanted to be in a band as soon as he saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Petty played with a number of bands early in his career, but finally found peace with the Heartbreakers, including Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. The lineup has changed over the years, but the band now consists of Campbell, Tench, Scott Thurston, Rob Blair, and Steve Ferrone.

The band released a self-titled debut in 1976. The album was initially more successful in the UK, and it wasnt until the follow up, "Youre Gonna Get It” that the band found mild commercial success. The next album from the group, "Damn the Torpedoes,” went platinum and included the hits "Dont Do Me Like That” and "Refugee.”

The group continued to steadily release albums and score hit songs through the late 80s, when Petty ventured out on his own to found Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. The band was short lived, as Orbison died shortly after they formed.

Petty released "Full Moon Fever” on his own in 1989, including some of his biggest hits, "I Wont Back Down,” "Free Fallin” and "Runnin Down a Dream.” The rocker got back together with his band for "Into the Great Wide Open” in 1991 - it included the hits "Learning to Fly” and "Into the Great Wide Open.”

While many classic rock artists lost steam in the early 90s, Petty found massive success with the solo album "Wildflowers” from Warner Bros. in 1994. The album included the hits "You Dont Know How it Feels,” "You Wreck Me” and "Its Good to be King.”

In recent years, Petty has come out against the greed and watered-down sounds of the music industry, attacking pop music in particular. The 2002 album "The Last DJ” expressed this frustration and did very well commercially.

In 2006 the band headlined the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and Petty released another solo collection, "Highway Companion.” The album was the highest-charting of his career and the tour allowed them to reach out to a younger audience that didnt necessarily grow up on his music.

In February of 2008, the group performed on the Super Bowl halftime show, treating the crowd and the viewers at home with "American Girl,” "I Wont Back Down,” "Free Fallin,” and "Running Down a Dream.”