Petty: The Biography

Petty: The Biography

By Warren Zanes

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The New York Times Bestseller

*One of Rolling Stone's 10 Best Music Books of 2015*

An exhilarating and intimate account of the life of music legend Tom Petty, by an accomplished writer and musician who toured with Petty

No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write.

Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise. From meeting Elvis, to seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, to producing Del Shannon, backing Bob Dylan, putting together a band with George Harrison, Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, making records with Johnny Cash, and sending well more than a dozen of his own celebrated recordings high onto the charts, Tom Petty's story has all the drama of a rock and roll epic. Now in his mid-sixties, still making records and still touring, Petty, known for his reclusive style, has shared with Warren Zanes his insights and arguments, his regrets and lasting ambitions, and the details of his life on and off the stage.

This is a book for those who know and love the songs, from "American Girl" and "Refugee" to "Free Fallin'" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance," and for those who want to see the classic rock and roll era embodied in one man's remarkable story. Dark and mysterious, Petty manages to come back, again and again, showing us what the music can do and where it can take us.

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN-13: 9781250105196
ISBN-10: 1250105196
Published on 10/25/2016
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 336

Book Reviews (1)

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My book is called,"Petty" written by Warren Zanes, he also is the illustrator. This is a nonfiction biography book with 313 pages. Tom Petty's story still inspires people today, who want to have the positive, and persevering mindset like he did, through all hardships, his story will never be forgotten. Tom Petty as a kid got inspired for music from, "The Beatles". Also that boy started off as a teenager with a dream to a guy who hit it big in the music business. One struggle that Tom Petty faced was his band breaking up, Tom Petty got frustrated with that situation. So you can imagine the disadvantage going threw his mind because, he was the type of person who quits if it isn't looking good for him. Although, later on he learned to have more of an open mind. If Tom Petty learned at a young age that, people can be cruel at times, but to just use that to push you harder. For example, he probably wouldn’t of faced all those downfalls threw his life; if he knew before, he would of became a greater musician then ever. Additionally, he would of had a better reputation throughout his life.So from all of that, I can clearly say that, Tom Petty learned many lessons from his errors, like being a better person, and be more positive about things. Finally, I would recommend this book, “Petty”, for fans , people who are interested about Tom Petty, and of course,people who are looking to write an article about him. Why, because it gives so much information on Tom Petty, like what kind of person he was, and much more. Trust me, after reading that story I could write 6 legendary pages about Tom Petty, and I’m only a fifth grader! Over all, I would rate the book an 9 out of 10. All in all, If I had to ask one question towards Tom Petty it would be,”if you had to recreate one of your bands once and for all, final, forever, who would be in it and what would the title be?”