Some of country music’s brightest stars are coming together for Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty. The long list of contributors includes Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton, Dierks Bentley, and more. Bentley’s countrified cover of “American Girl” was the first sample of the upcoming tribute project. Watch him take up Petty’s Rickenbacker guitar in the official music video below.
Videos by American Songwriter
No one would ever call Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers a country band. However, their brand of heartland rock is close enough to the genre that many country fans and artists alike still crank their albums. No matter the genre, great songwriting, and top-shelf musicianship are hard to deny.
[RELATED: Dierks Bentley Turns Tom Petty’s “American Girl” Bluegrass on Forthcoming Tribute Album]
Dierks Bentley on Covering Tom Petty’s “American Girl”
Bentley discussed his love of Petty’s music in general and “American Girl” in particular in a press release. “Petty’s southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling,” he shared. “He might not have ever been considered as country but you can’t go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song,” he added. “It is one of the greatest songs in a life’s work full of great American songs.” He added, “Tom Petty’s lyrics and delivery were a huge part of what made his music so impactful.”
The video for “American Girl” sees Bentley playing Petty’s guitar. Taking up the rock legend’s axe is something Bentley will likely never forget. “Holding an instrument that carries so much musical history and significance was surreal,” he said. “You could almost feel the stories resonate from it as a played it,” he added.
Petty Country Tracklist
- “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 and Lukas Nelson
- “Learning to Fly”—Eli Young Band
- “Breakdown”—Ryan Hurd and 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 with Breland
- “I Need to Know”—Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
- “Don’t Come Around Here No More”—Rhiannon Giddens and Benmont Tench
- “You Wreck Me”—George Strait
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
