Many live shows later and in the middle of a horrible national tragedy, the guy (solo or with his bands) who helped form my musical memories passed away. He seemed at his healthy best just a few years ago live. I read the text (it's 2017 of course, so no one breaks the news to you in person or on the phone). I pulled over. Car idling, just sitting there with both hands at 12 o'clock on the steering wheel. And since it's 2017 I bluetoothed my phone to the stereo and fumbled a bit before finding "Breakdown" - - where 41 years after it came out I sat listening to that song, in a car, speechless once more.

Even as he started looking more like me - sometimes slouched over, joint pain troubling him, bad back, a little bit of a paunch - I'd hear a song and it would take me back to 1983 Gainesville, Florida where the predecessor AND now-sidegig-band Mudcrutch was born with Tom on 2nd guitar. Sly smile, telling Stevie to stop dragging his heart around.

For the Heartbreakers, From Refugee to Here Comes My Girl. How do you explain goose bumps when you hear Free Fallin live? Petty fans, you know, right?

Man, I am going to miss the music this guy made. His most recent album (Hypnotic Eye) brought TP and the Heartbreakers their FIRST true #1 album. He was 63 when that happened. 63! Forgotten Man, or U Get Me High. Go find and listen to both. He told the music industry that he wanted to make an album of just fast rocking songs. Mission accomplished, nearly 35 years after the 1st honest- to-goodness-pressed-on-vinyl breakout.

Youtube "Swinging" by TP from his 1999 Album Echo. I promise you will fall in a love with a 19 year old song, that will have you saying to yourself - "where the hell was I when this came out?"

Mudcrutch? Find 'The Wrong Thing to Do" close your eyes, and your feet will start tapping. Slower than 40 years ago, but tapping nonetheless right through your orthopaedic socks. "Well I was flying half mast on the 4th of July in a bar in Lake City ... ."

I'll be running alone on trails, in the woods, or on the beach to music that even if just for 2:44 (the run time for Breakdown) still has the magical way of transporting me to someplace very different in my life.

Truer words were never spoken to me, through a $100 car stereo in the hot Florida sun: "So I've started out for God knows where, I guess I'll know when I get there."

RIP Mr. Petty.
Signed,
A Fan