As a musician, singer, and songwriter, I am often surprised by the similarities between myself and Tom Petty. We’ve both been supremely blessed with the love of good women, the musical input and support of first-rate musicians, and the unceasing ability to stick to our guns – against almost insurmountable odds. Yep, ol’ Tom Petty and I have an awful lot in common, I like to think. He, of course, lives in a palatial estate in sunny California and, well, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

See, as much as I like to think that the head Heartbreaker and I are cut from the same cloth, share the same undying dedication to rock & roll (no matter how uncool that may be at the time), and walk with the same tenuous swagger that comes from having seen it all and done it all, the truth is that when they made Tom Petty, they broke the mold. And burned the cloth.

How I came to know of Tom Petty is a story I’ve told friends and will now tell you:

When I was a kid, I was already neck-deep in my love for rock & roll. As my twelfth birthday approached, I began dropping a series of not-so-subtle hints that I wanted the new Pretenders album as a gift. Over and over, I mentioned the Pretenders. When they appeared on television, I made sure to turn up the volume and yell, “Oh cool, the Pretenders!” within earshot of my parents. The last thing I wanted was for them to buy me the wrong album.

Finally, my birthday arrives and I rip into the album-shaped present that sits before me. I throw the wrapping paper on the floor and gaze at the – wait a second, this isn’t the Pretenders album. It’s Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes. Not wanting to hurt my parents’ feelings, I feign excitement and, once my birthday dinner is over, carry the album to my room with all the enthusiasm of a pack of Fruit of The Loom briefs.

From the moment I touched needle to wax, though, I was in love. (more…)