Thursday, October 2, marked the eighth anniversary of the death of Tom Petty. The legendary rocker was a few weeks shy of his 67th birthday when he passed away from an accidental overdose of prescription medication.
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Some of the founding members of Petty’s group The Heartbreakers—guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and drummer Stan Lynch—marked the sad anniversary by posting tributes to their late bandmate on their social media pages.
Campbell posted a video featuring him delivering a poignant spoken-word homage. In the clip, he appears on a stool, apparently in his backyard, holding an acoustic guitar.
“Today is October 2nd, 2025, and it’s been eight years. And these are my thoughts today,” he begins, then recites his tribute while strumming some mournful chords.
“Time passes. Things change, but memories always remain,” Mike says. “Dreams go on forever, from dawn to dawn. The music we made together goes on and on and on and on. I miss you, brother. There is no other … like you. Thank you for being my friend, and believing in me. I believed in you too. Every time I hit an E chord, I feel your energy. I will always be grateful for the friendship you gave to me.”
At this point in the video, the wind kicks up and Campbell chuckles, then comments, “God bless the wind.”
He ends the tribute, “So wherever you are, near or far, your vibration lives in my guitar. The music never dies.”
Benmont Tench’s Tribute
Tench posted a message reflecting on the anniversary of Petty’s passing, accompanied by an early photo of him and Tom performing together.
“even eight years later, i still can’t find the words to express how i feel,” the note reads. “i owe you, miss you, and love you more than i could ever say. i hope you’re traveling to wonderful places.”
Benmont also comments about the photo attached to the message.
“i don’t know who took this picture, but the gig looks like maybe the Keg in [Gainesville, Florida,] or a big daddy’s,” he writes. “my guess is 1973. it was a wonderful, wonderful time.”
Stan Lynch’s Tribute
Lynch posted his own homage on the special media pages of his current band, The Speaker Wars.
His message featured a black-and-white photo of Petty and him dating back to the 1970s.
“We were kids in 1976,” Stan wrote. “First tour of England. No clue what was in store. Locked together. Bonded by the music. Tommy was my dear friend and I’ll miss him until we meet again.”
(Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage)
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