Tom Petty, 1950-2017, R.I.P.

Today's post will probably be fairly light, text-wise. (I say that now, as I begin writing it, but I have been known to get carried away, right?)

I'm not sure when I first became aware of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which was then comprised of Petty, Mike Campbell, Ron Blair, Stan Lynch (no relation to Yours Truly), and Benmont Tench. It was fairly early, perhaps as early as the release of their very first LP. I can tell you that I sang "Breakdown" from that debut album in my own late 1970s, early 1980s band, Viper, along with "Refugee" from their third LP, "Damn the Torpedoes."

Usually, whenever I sang a cover tune, I tried to sing it as closely as possible to the original singer's performance. (Whenever I couldn't copy someone's style -- for example, I couldn't imitate Mick Jagger's voice when I sang a Rolling Stones tune -- I'd just sing it like "me.") This was the case when I sang "Breakdown" and "Refugee." I even managed Petty's odd, pseudo Desi Arnaz sound when singing the first verse of the former! After seeing my band play both Tom Petty songs, people from the audience would walk up to me and tell me I sounded exactly like Petty during those two numbers... and then went on to request that I not do that.

Okay, so maybe he didn't have the best voice in the business, but he had a style all his own, and I loved it. And I sure wasn't alone in that department.

Interesting. This is Tom Petty's yearbook photo, from the 1968 Gainesville,

Florida, Hurricane. Wikipedia says Petty dropped out of high school at the

age of seventeen. Hm. I suppose it was a last-minute thing...

Tom with a very young Stevie Nicks!

An early shot of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Petty as a member of The Traveling Wilburys, flanked by Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy

Orbison, and George Harrison. With all that vocal talent surrounding him, I always found it

odd that Tom ended up sounding more like Dylan than anyone else on their first LP.

Later in life. Not that my opinion matters, but I never warmed up to his bearded look.

And now, two Tom Petty songs, one that I performed, and one that I wish I'd performed!

Thanks for your time.

Vacation -- A "Theme Thursday" Post (REVISED)

A relatively short'n'goofy one this week. So it goes.

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Five Celebrities Tell "What I Did On My Summer Vacation."

Clint Eastwood, age twelve (1942):

I went to summer camp this summer. I am ashamed to say that I wanted to get out of some of my daily chores, and I bullied one of the younger kids to help me. I didn't hurt him or nothing. I just pointed a loaded slingshot at him and said "I know what you're thinking — 'Can he hit me with that thing at this range?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I'm kinda unsure myself. But, being this is a slingshot, the most powerful weapon in this camp and would put your eye out, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" He was scared, and said no. So I took him to my tent, brought him over to my bunk, and said, "Go ahead... Make my bed."

Steve Winwood, age seven (1955):

I had lots of fun this summer!

My family went camping. I couldn't get to sleep because there were frogs croaking in a nearby pond, and mosquitoes buzzing around me, and crickets chirping and owls hooting and stuff like that. I finally got so frustrated I sat up and yelled "Shut up!" My older brother Muff started laughing and said, "Stevie, that's the first time I ever heard of anybody talking back to the night!"

My brother Muff was there for me when I got a crush on a girl named Valerie who ended up not liking me back. He told me I should just roll with it.

Then there was the day I was swimming in our pool. Muff and some friends had formed a band and were playing in the backyard. I've always wanted to be a singer, so I asked a buddy who was in the pool with me if I should get out of the pool and try to sing with the older kids. He said "While you see a chance, take it," and I got out of the pool and ran to the microphone. Luckily, my dad yelled at me not to touch it (the mike, I mean) because I was all wet, and would get shocked. He was screaming, "Don't you know what the mike can do?"

Elvis Costello, age nine (1963):

I didn't do too good in school last year, and had to go to summer school. At first I was mad because I couldn't play with the other kids until the afternoon, but I decided to look on the bright side and write a song about it because that's what I want to do when I grow up. My song went like this: "Every day, every day, every day, every day I ride the bus..."

James Bond -- the character, not any actor who's ever portrayed him! -- age nine (year unknown, date of birth listed variously as 1913, 1920, 1925, etc.):

I spent my summer vacation avoiding all the icky bleached-blonde girls who were throwing themselves at me. I HATE girls! And every one I meet always has a stupid name, too! I can't wait until I'm old enough to get my licence. Then I can buy a souped-up sportscar of some kind and get away from them even faster!

Blondes! DUMB blondes!

Tom Petty, age five (1956):

I learnd to swim this sumer and wuz prity good at it. In fact I liked the swimming part better than walking into the
oshin
ocean itself because the waste-deep waist-deep wayves almost knocked me over.

The wading is the hardest part.

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Ummm...yeah. Thanks for your time.