Five Tom Petty Facts
In Honour of his 66th birthday
1. Tom Petty Fought Against Increases in Record Prices…
…and he won. In 1981 his record label wanted to charge $9.98 for his album Hard Promises. The standard price at the time was $8.98 so he refused to release the album until MCA agreed to sell it for the standard $8.98.
2. Tom Petty Took Guitar Lessons from Don Felder of The Eagles
Before Don became a member of the Eagles, he taught guitar lessons in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Tom wanted to learn guitar so he could play guitar instead of just bass in his band.
3. He’s An Actor
He has made cameos in movies like FM and Made in Heaven. He had a more substantial role in The Postman.
4. He Played Luanne Platter’s Husband on King of the Hill
His character, Elroy “Lucky” Kleinschmidt slipped on “pee-pee” at a gas station and won $53, 000 from the lawsuit. He later fell in love with Hank Hill’s niece, Luanne. They got married and had a child together. Tom Petty’s character was a regular part of the show in the last few seasons.
5. He Almost Convinced Dave Grohl to Become a Heartbreaker
After Nirvana ended in 1994, Dave Grohl was at a crossroads. Should he go forward with his solo demos (aka the Foo Fighters First Album) or should he accept Tom Petty’s offer to replace Stan Lynch as the drummer for the Heartbreakers? Grohl obviously made his choice, but not before he performed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Saturday Night Live in 1994.
