Photo: Alexia Arizzabalaga
Singer Matt Berninger and guitarist Bryce Dessner from critically acclaimed Cincinnati, Ohio band The National yesterday performed a touching tribute to Tom Petty on Dessner’s Instagram feed.
The stripped back cover of Petty’s song ‘Damaged By Love’, from the 2006 Highway Companion solo LP, was also followed up by fellow bandmate Aaron Dessner sharing a clip of Berninger dancing to the original recording.
The original ‘Damaged By Love’, taken from what critics generally agree is Petty’s most laid-back LP, is a gentle mid-tempo, four-chord chugger whose lyrics lament a heroine struggling to rediscover her romantic soul despite being unlucky in the past: 'She's got nothing to hide / And she hides it so well / Keeps broken dreams / To fix up and sell’
A number of fellow artists also went online yesterday to honour Petty, who was found unconscious, not breathing and in cardiac arrest at his Malibu home on Monday (October 2). He was taken to hospital but doctors sadly couldn’t save his life.
Paul McCartney tweeted: ‘Dear Tom, so sad to hear of his passing. What a lovely, intelligent and talented man he was. Love to his family.’
Ringo Starr shared a photo of himself with Petty alongside the comment: ‘God bless Tom Petty peace and love to his family I’m sure going to miss you Tom.’
Tributes also poured in from Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Kesha.
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers recently finished their 40th anniversary tour with three gigs at the Hollywood Bowl just last week. The band played a sold out UK show at London’s Hyde Park in July.
His band Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers initially found greater success in the UK than their homeland but broke through with their second and third albums, You’re Gonna Get It! (1978) and the classic Damn The Torpedoes (1979).
The band’s popularity increased over the next four decades with further hits including ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’ and the Stevie Nicks duet ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’.
He also performed with supergroup The Traveling Wilburys alongside Bob Dylan, former Beatle George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne from ELO
In an interview with Rolling Stone last year around the 40th anniversary tour, he said: "I'd be lying if I didn't say I was thinking this might be the last big one. We're all on the backside of our 60s.
"I have a granddaughter now I'd like to see as much as I can. I don't want to spend my life on the road."
The National are currently on a world tour.
