Tom Petty will long be remembered as one of the most iconic rockers of his era. In much the same way, many fans hail George Strait as the King of Country Music. So, when it came time to record Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, Strait’s addition to the all-star lineup was natural. His contribution to the collection being a live cut of “You Wreck Me” was even more so.
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While there’s no denying Strait’s country cred, he also knows how to rock when he’s on stage. “You Wreck Me” has been a staple of his concerts for years. Many fans even consider it a highlight of his performances along with “Amarillo by Morning,” “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” and other fan favorites from his discography.
[RELATED: Watch George Strait and Mike Campbell Rock Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” at MetLife Stadium]
Earlier this month, Strait performed to a massive crowd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. After playing a whole set of his hits, he chose “You Wreck Me” for his encore. To make things a little more special, he invited Mike Campbell, Petty’s longtime friend, writing partner, and guitarist to join him for the song.
Mike Campbell on Performing “You Wreck Me” with George Strait
Mike Campbell co-wrote “You Wreck Me” and several other songs with Tom Petty. Among those songs is “I Should Have Known It” which Chris Stapleton covered for Petty Country. Campbell also joined Chris Stapleton for a live version of that song.
Recently, Campbell spoke to Ultimate Classic Rock about the tribute record. During the conversation, he discussed performing with Stapleton and George Strait.
“It’s just kind of an out-of-body experience for me to be doing this because I’ve kind of entered the second chapter of my musical life,” he said. “I never dreamed I’d be playing a giant stadium, you know, beyond the Heartbreakers in any way, shape, or form. But there I was with Chris Stapleton and George Strait, doing songs that I wrote, with these huge audiences and having them respect me to do the songs and ask me up to join them,” he added. “It was really, really exciting. I gotta say, it kind of breaks my brain a little bit.”
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