Tom Petty left us close to a decade ago, and the wound is still raw for many fans. And Tom Petty’s final performance was a bit of a surprise to everyone. He had planned to retire from heavy touring moving forward with his career, as many musicians his age opted to do. However, he was about as far from done with music as possible.
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Sadly, just one week after his last set with The Heartbreakers in California in 2017, Petty passed away. And now, that final performance has a haunting but also nostalgic feeling to it. It was an amazing show, and a fine sendoff to one of classic rock’s greatest musicians and songwriters.
You can watch a clip of Tom Petty’s final performance below.
Tom Petty’s Final Performance Was a Beautiful Treat for Fans in Retrospect
Tom Petty’s final performance took place on September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The performance would occur just one week before Petty passed away on October 2, 2017. Nobody thought it would be his last, including Petty himself.
The set was meant to be the last show of his final major tour. And, naturally, the last song Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played before walking off the stage for good was the classic “American Girl”. It would be the final time the group would make music together.
Tom Petty had said that he doubted he would kick off another massive tour. Though, he didn’t rule out the possibility of smaller or more infrequent tours in the future.
“We are all on the backside of our sixties,” said Petty ahead of his final tour, referring to himself and the members of The Heartbreakers. “I have a granddaughter now. I’d like to see her as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road. This tour will take me away for four months. With a little kid, that’s a lot of time.”
On October 1, 2017, Petty would be found by his wife in cardiac arrest. After being revived and taken to the hospital, he would be pronounced dead the following day. Petty accidentally overdosed on a combination of opioids and other substances. His daughter would later say that he struggled with a number of medical problems that called for several pain medication prescriptions.
His death was tragic, and I can only imagine the emotions of fans who got to attend what became Tom Petty’s final performance. Rest in peace, legend.
Photo by Paul Zollo
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