Tom Petty dies after cardiac arrest, aged 66

Jason Collie3 October 2017
The Weekender

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Music legend Tom Petty has died in hospital after being found unconscious at his home.

The 66-year-old lead singer of the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital but could not be saved, his manager Tony Dimitriades said.

He was 66 and had just finished a 40th anniversary tour with the Heartbreakers, which included a headline performance at British Summer Time in Hyde Park in July.

In a statement Dimitriades said: "On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty.

Tom Petty - In pictures

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"He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8.40pm PT (4.30am, Tuesday, UK time) surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.”

Petty, usually backed by his longtime band the Heartbreakers, was known for hits such as Free Fallin', Learning to Fly, Refugee and American Girl.

The Florida native with the shaggy blond hair and gaunt features drew upon the Byrds, the Beatles and other musicians he loved while growing up in the 1960s.

He was also a member of the impromptu supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, which included Bob Dylan, former Beatle George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.

Petty and the Heartbreakers had recently completed a 40th anniversary tour, one he hinted would be their last.

Petty, whose worldwide sales topped 80 million records, was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2002.

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