Bob Dylan has paid tribute to late musician and his Traveling Wilburys bandmate Tom Petty.
Petty – known for his band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – passed away on Monday (October 2) at the age of 66. Reports suggest that he suffered a cardiac arrest.
In 1988, Petty and Dylan co-founded supergroup the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison. They released two records together: ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’ in 1988 and, after Orbison’s death, ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3’ in 1990. Jeff Lynne later explained their second album’s title choice, saying “That was George’s idea. He said, ‘Let’s confuse the buggers.'”
Reacting to the sad news of Petty’s death, Dylan said in a statement to Rolling Stone: “It’s shocking, crushing news. I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.”
Petty formed The Heartbreakers in 1976, and their self-titled debut album was released the same year. It featured Petty’s classic song ‘American Girl’. Petty’s breakthrough came with his band’s third album ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ in 1979. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers last released an album in 2014 in the form of 13th LP ‘Hypnotic Eye’.
Petty recently concluded a 40th anniversary tour with his band The Heartbreakers. The final date took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on September 22.