One year has passed since the untimely death of rock star, Tom Petty. Petty wasn’t old by any standards; 66 years young for the rock icon at the time of his death. There won’t be another musician like Tom Petty. Not soon. Not ever. He was the last of a dying breed. The Floridian respected the craftsmanship behind what it took to be like one of his heroes like George Harrison, Jeff Lynne or Roy Orbison.
It didn’t matter what walk of life you came from, we can all agree that the music of Tom Petty is timeless. There isn’t a time of our lives where his music is connected with a special moment. My step-dad purchased the single of “Into the Great Wide Open” in cassette form. As an 11 year-old in El Paso, my choices for radio were extremely limited. We put that single through the ringer in the bed of the small Mazda B-2200 pickup truck that summer of 1991.
The release of the accompanying video starring a young Johnny Depp validated our musical selection and forever changing my outlook on what life was going to be like as a future adult according to Depp’s debaucherous tendencies out in Los Angeles.
On the one year anniversary, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart released there cover of “Runnin’ Down a Dream” as part of a larger full album cover release of the Petty classic, “Full Moon Fever”” via Turntable Kitchen.
Colorado’s own, the Lumineers, recorded a more subdued take on the tear-jerker of “Walls” with proceeds going to Musicares charity.
***********
About Musicares
A friend and ally of the music community, MusiCares was established by the Recording Academy to safeguard the health and well-being of all music people. A four-star charity and safety net in times of need, MusiCares offers confidential preventative, recovery, and emergency programs to address financial, medical, and personal health issues. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteer professionals, our dedicated team works across the country to ensure the music community has the resources and support it needs.
For more information, visit www.musicares.org, “like” MusiCares on Facebook, and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.
The Lumineers – “Walls” (OFFICIAL AUDIO)