Tom Petty‘s rare recordings and unreleased tracks will air this weekend on XM Radio as part of its ‘Highway Companion Big Weekend.’
For the past two years, Petty has hosted the show ‘Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure’ on the satellite radio station that boasts more than seven million US subscribers.
This weekend the radio station will feature a 72-hour marathon of the first 44 episodes of his popular show, with a play list that includes artists such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The White Stripes, and Little Richard, as well as obscure tracks from Petty himself.
The ‘Highway Companion Big Weekend,’ which takes its name from Petty’s most recent album, ‘Highway Companion,’ kicks off Friday, December 15 at midnight Eastern Standard Time on XM LIVE (XM 200).
Petty has been nominated for Best Rock Album for ‘Highway Companion’ and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the track ‘Saving Grace’ at the Grammy Awards, which take place February 11 in Los Angeles. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers just celebrated their 30th anniversary, and Petty is currently working with Academy Award-winning director Peter Bogdanovich on a film documentary chronicling the Heartbreakers‘ history.
–By our Los Angeles staff.