Tom Petty: No Shadow of a Doubt

I, like many other rock and roll music lovers across the United States and the world, was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Tom Petty. I was a HUGE Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan in the 1980's, going to several concerts, several venues, several tours. One of my biggest regrets this year was not going to see them when they were at the University of Illinois last May. Unfortunately, my daughter was graduating from college that weekend, there was a special gathering for the people in her program, and I had been working my tail off cleaning up my mother's house. The last thing I wanted to do that weekend was fight the crowd at the State Farm Center. I can always catch them a little later down the road, I thought.

Still hurting from the violence in Las Vegas and on the train from my son's apartment in Seattle to the airport, I saw the news of Petty's heart attack. Talk about another punch to the gut.

Petty was a true rocker in every sense -- a rebel who did have a clue. I am posting an example of the brilliance and energy that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers brought to every concert. Note the great synergy in the song -- every instrument contributing to the sound, the lead and back-up vocals ...

RIP Tom Petty. The beauty of music in the world is now a little bit less than it was. Thank you.