Rock musician Tom Petty has died, according to a statement issued by his longtime manager on behalf of the family.
Petty was 66.
The statement read:
"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. 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 surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends."
Petty, usually backed by his longtime band the Heartbreakers, was known for such hits as "Free Fallin,'" "Refugee" and "American Girl." The Gainesville, 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, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.
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Guest:
Mikael Wood, pop music critic for the LA Times; he tweets