Profile of the Day: Tom Petty

Happy 64th birthday to Tom Petty! The lead vocalist of the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Thomas Early Petty was born October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida.

His love of rock and roll music began at the age of ten when he met Elvis Presley on the set of his film Follow That Dream. He began playing with local bands in his teens, but didn’t find success until joining the Heartbreakers in 1975. The following year, the band released their first album, which featured the popular hits “American Girl” and “Breakdown.”

Petty has sold more than 80 million records worldwide throughout his career, both with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

What’s your favorite song?

Tom Petty is connected to nearly 80 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. Explore the tree to see how you’re related!

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Image: Takahiro Kyno, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)