The statement from Petty was: “All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. One interesting later career tid-bit that came out of researching his career: 12.5% of the profits from Sam Smith’s album “Stay With Me” had to be paid to Petty for using much of “I Won’t Back Down” in Smith’s song. I saw Tom Petty “live” once, in a concert in Moline, Illinois at the Mark of the Quad Cities. He smokes, non-stop, during the film, which makes a lung ailment seem likely. It also showed these drugs in his system: fentanyl oxycontin acetylfentanyl temazepam alprazolam and citalprum. The autopsy on Petty’s body showed he did have a hip fracture. Tom had put off the surgery until the end of the tour, since so many other musicians were counting on him. His wife said he was in a lot of pain from a hip that was fractured and needed surgery. Petty had just finished the Heartbreakers’ 40 th Anniversary Tour when he died on October 2, 2017. He made a decision to break that cycle on his own and went into treatment. From 1996 to 1999 Tom Petty had addiction issues to heroin.

One period that is glossed over in the documentary came after the recording sessions that provided the basis for the film. It would be five years before he would remarry Dana York in 2001. Their daughter Adria relates how she knew her parents were splitting up when she heard the songs he was working on for “Wildflowers” in 1994. While he began in 1976, by 1979 he had a hit with “Don’t Do Me Like That.” Born on October 20, 1950, Tom was married for 22 years to Jane Renyo. I feel very fortunate, because it all worked out.” Never close to his somewhat abusive father, Tom dropped out of high school at seventeen to play bass guitar and dated his desire to have his own band from when he saw the Beatles appear on “Ed Sullivan.” Petty says he knew he could do that, and adds, “I didn’t have any choice. He described () his desire to become a singer/songwriter as stemming from meeting Elvis Presley when he was 10 years old and referred to the Rolling Stones as “my punk music.” Tom says, “You don’t want to stay in just one little circle all the time.” He had spent 20 years with the Heartbreakers with Lynne producing and, although Rubin had been told that his desire to work with Petty was not going to bear fruit, it did when Petty, himself, called Rubin up about collaborating.Īt one point, a band member says, “How can there be this many good songs from one person?” Petty sold over 80 million records and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty’s move away from record producer Jeff Lynne, who had produced most of the Heartbreakers albums, towards Rick Rubin is addressed. Other scenes are in a room literally crammed with a variety of guitars. There are concert shots and songs performed in the recording studio that Petty had set up. Aside from conflict with one long-time band member who left after many years ( without saying good bye, according to ), he got along well with his bandmates. One thing that comes through is that he was an easy-going guy with a good sense of humor. There will not be undue focus on his death, as that sad event was 24 years in the future when the unused film was discovered and refurbished for use in this story of Tom Petty’s views on life and work. Tom’s daughter Aida is listed as an Executive Producer. The Tom Petty documentary “Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free,” directed by Mary Wharton, depicts his career and his personality using film shot by Marlyn Atkins between 19, during the taping of the “Wildflower” album.Īt that time, Tom would have been in his mid-forties and a long way away from his untimely death after just completing the Heartbreakers’ 40 th Anniversary tour on October 2, 2017. Tom Petty in the recording studio with Rick Rubin, from the documentary “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free.” | Credit: Tom Petty Legacy, LLC / Warner Music Group

Tom petty documentary