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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

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Members

Current

Name
Begin
Occupation

Phil Jones

N/A

History

Name
Begin
End
Occupation

Benmont Tench

1976
2017

Howie Epstein

1982
2002

Mike Campbell

1976
2017

Ron Blair

1976
1982

Ron Blair

2002
2017

Scott Thurston

1991
2017

Stan Lynch

1976
1994

Steve Ferrone

1994
2017

Tom Petty

1976
2017

Eponymous

Story of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Gainesville, Florida-bred rock and roll institution, launched in 1976 with a classic lineup: Tom Petty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mike Campbell (lead guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Stan Lynch (drums), and Ron Blair (bass). Blairs departure in 1982, due to touring fatigue, brought in Howie Epstein, who solidified the rhythm section for the next two decades. The bands evolution continued with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston in 1991 (primarily rhythm guitar and keyboards) and drummer Steve Ferrone in 1994, replacing Lynch. Blair notably rejoined in 2002, a year before Epstein`s passing.

Their decades-long reign yielded a string of iconic hits, including "Breakdown," "American Girl" (both 1976), "Refugee" (1979), "The Waiting" (1981), "Learning to Fly" (1991), and "Mary Janes Last Dance" (1993), establishing them as rock royalty. While Petty insisted on "rock and roll" as their sole genre descriptor, their sound resonated with both Southern rock and heartland rock sensibilities, placing them alongside giants like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp as pioneers of the latter. Even as heartland rocks mainstream popularity ebbed in the 1990s, the Heartbreakers remained a powerful touring force until Pettys death in 2017, marking the end of an era for one of rocks most enduring bands.

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