Tom Petty: a timeless rock-and-roll legacy (with guest Brad Johs)

Long before he became a rock legend in a top hat, Tom Petty was just a young man in Florida with a guitar, a dream, and a refusal to back down.

He was 23 years old when he moved from his hometown of Gainesville to Los Angeles and went on to become a legendary rock singer and songwriter with such classic hits as “American Girl” and “Free Fallin’.”

In this podcast episode, host Bob Edholm has invited his friend Brad Johs, a longtime fan of Tom Petty, to talk about Tom’s iconic catalog of songs and albums and his lasting influence on American music.

Consider this about Tom Petty:

· He led Tom Petty and Heartbreakers (including world-class lead guitarist Mike Campbell), who released 13 original studio albums that achieved steady commercial longevity and mainstream rock radio dominance. The band is also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

· Tom co-founded the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys with former Beatle George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. The Traveling Wilburys released two albums and achieved massive success, highlighted by multi-platinum album certifications, despite never going on a live tour. (And check out the top hat Tom is wearing in the Wilburys’ music video “Handle with Care.”

· He recorded three solo albums—Full Moon Fever (1989), Wildflowers (1994), and Highway Competition (2006)—that achieved strong commercial success and high chart placements on the U.S. Billboard charts.

· And, Tom recorded two LPs with Mudcrutch, his original band, which formed in the 1970s, but recorded the albums decades later just for the joy of playing with his early friends.

Brad will discuss the roots of Tom Petty’s musical influences (from Elvis Presley, whom Tom met as a young boy when Tom’s uncle was working on the set of Elvis’ film Follow That Dream in Ocala, Florida; to the Beatles, when Tom saw them on The Ed Sullivan Show).

So have a listen as Bob and Brad discuss the joys of listening to the music of Tom Petty, a man who successfully blended rock with some country and folk roots into timeless, honest anthems that are as popular today as ever.