Petty was born on October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, the first of two sons of Kitty Petty (née Avery), a local tax office worker, and Earl … See more

Petty's interest in rock and roll music began at age ten when he had an opportunity to meet Elvis Presley. In the summer of 1961, his … See more

Petty overcame a difficult relationship with his father. He said his father found it difficult to accept that Petty was "a mild-mannered kid who was interested in the arts" and subjected … See more

Petty owned and used a number of guitars over the years. From 1976 to 1982, his main instrument was a sunburst 1964 Fender Stratocaster. … See more

Petty was known as a staunch guardian of his artistic control and artistic freedom. In 1979, he was involved in a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to MCA Records. … See more

On October 1, 2017, Petty's wife Dana York found him not breathing and in cardiac arrest at their home. He was resuscitated and taken to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where he was put on life support. … See more

In 1994, You Got Lucky, a Petty tribute album featuring such bands as Everclear and Silkworm was released.
In April 1996, Petty received UCLA's George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement. The next month, Petty … See more