The star-studded album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty got its release on Friday, June 21. Among the many noteworthy contributors to the 20-track tribute record was Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell.
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Campbell, who’s featured alongside acclaimed singer/songwriter Margo Price on a version of the rarity “Ways to Be Wicked,” says he believes Tom Petty “would be really, really happy about” the album, particularly with regard to the list of stars featured who lent their talents to the record.
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As Campbell explained in a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Petty “was proud to have country roots and I think he would like the record.”
Campbell, who, like Petty, grew up in northern Florida, told the website that a country-themed Petty tribute “made perfect sense” to him.
“[W]e grew up in the South and we grew up around country music and there’s a lot of country music strings in the Heartbreakers’ music, I think,” Mike noted. “Tom wrote that character quite a bit. And I was just really excited, mostly because I want to keep the history and those songs alive and all these great artists doing his songs, it was wonderful thing.”
More About the Guest Artists on the Petty Country Album
As previously reported, among the many stars who recorded tunes for the album are Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Wynonna Judd, Lainey Wilson, Marty Stuart, and Lady A. Petty & the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench also played on a track.
Campbell’s Favorite Songs on Petty Country
As for picking a favorite track on Petty Country, Campbell said, “I like them all.” He did single out a few though, including Stuart’s version of “I Need to Know,” Parton’s take on “Southern Accents,” and, especially, Price’s rendition of “Ways to Be Wicked.”
The 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer added, “[E]verybody did a bang-up job on all the songs. A lot of the artists, I hadn’t heard of them before, because I’m not in that world, but when I listened to it, I thought, ‘It’s good, these young whippersnappers have got it down.’”
Feelings About Petty Tribute Shows
Campbell has been hesitant to take part in any type of Petty tribute concert, but he told Ultimate Classic Rock he might now be open to such an event.
“I’m open to anything that honors the legacy of Tom and the band,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but if it’s got integrity and it holds to the honesty that Tom and I helped build with the Heartbreakers … anything going forward that I feel that Tom … would like … I’ll say yes.
Campbell’s New Album with His Band The Dirty Knobs
On June 14, Campbell and his current band, The Dirty Knobs, released their third studio album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits. The 11-track collection will feature guest appearances by Stapleton, Tench, Graham Nash, and Lucinda Williams.
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs’ 2024 Tour Plans
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs have a series of 15 North American summer tour dates scheduled. The trek kicked off June 21 in Skokie, Illinois, and runs through a July 16 concert in Toronto.
Tickets for The Dirty Knobs’ tour dates are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
Petty Country Track List:
- “I Should Have Known It” – Chris Stapleton
- “Wildflowers” – Thomas Rhett
- “Runnin’ Down a Dream” – Luke Combs
- “Southern Accents” – Dolly Parton
- “Here Comes My Girl” – Justin Moore
- “American Girl” – Dierks Bentley
- “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” – Lady A
- “I Forgive It All” – Jamey Johnson
- “I Won’t Back Down” – Brothers Osborne
- “Refugee” – Wynonna Judd and Lainey Wilson
- “Angel Dream #2” – Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson
- “Learning to Fly” – Eli Young Band
- “Breakdown” – Ryan Hurd featuring Carly Pearce
- “Yer So Bad” – Steve Earle
- “Ways to Be Wicked” – Margo Price and Mike Campbell
- “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” – Midland
- “Free Fallin’” – The Cadillac Three featuring Breland
- “I Need to Know” – Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
- “Don’t Come Around Here No More” – Rhiannon Giddens featuring Benmont Tench
- “You Wreck Me” – George Strait
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