A representative for Tom Petty has confirmed that the legendary musician died Monday night surrounded by family, friends and bandmates. He was 66.
Longtime Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers manager, Tony Dimitriades, released the following statement Monday night on behalf of the family:
On behalf of the Tom Petty family we are devastated to announce the untimely death 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 PST surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.
Conflicting reports suggested that Tom Petty had died Monday afternoon following a full cardiac arrest he suffered on Sunday night. TMZ reported that Tom had been removed from life support, was on a do not resuscitate order but was clinging to life until Monday night. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer's death was inaccurate. Following the conflicting reports, the LAPD tweeted, "the LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources. However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting."
Previously:
Tom Petty made an everlasting mark on music history with The Heartbreakers, bursting onto the scene in 1976. The Gainesville, Florida native was a three-time Grammy award winner and is best known for his songs "Free Fallin," “I Won’t Back Down,” ” Runnin’ Down a Dream” and “American Girl.”
Petty just completed his 40th-anniversary tour with The Heartbreakers, but told Rolling Stone it would be “the last big one.”
“We’re all on the backside of our 60s,” he continued. “I have a granddaughter now I’d like to see as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road. This tour will take me away for four months. With a little kid, that’s a lot of time.”
Our condolences go out to Tom's family and friends.
Photo Credit: Getty