Remembering Tom Petty, One Year Later

Tom Petty (JStone - Shutterstock)

Artists and radio are remembering TOM PETTY on the one-year anniversary of his passing, THE LUMINEERS, who opened up for TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS three times, have released their version of PETTY's "Walls." "TOM PETTY is a musical hero of mine, and 'Walls' is such an incredible song," the band's WESLEY SCHULTZ said. "When I got married, my wife walked down the aisle to the song."

All proceeds from the song will benefit MUSICARES, a charity of the RECORDING ACADEMY, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. Check it out here or here. 

Meanwhile, THE REVIVALISTS covered TOM PETTY’s song, "Wildflowers," at the SIRIUSXM STUDIOS during an in-studio performance on SIRIUSXM’s JAMON channel. Check it out, courtesy of SIRIUSXM JAMON, here.

The Radio Response

BEASLEY BROADCAST GROUP’s Classic Rock WMGK/PHILADELPHIA  PD BILL WESTON told ALL ACCESS, “We’re doing a celebration of the life of TOM PETTY (not the anniversary of his death).”

WMGK APD NANCY PALUMBO told ALL ACCESS, “To mark the first anniversary of the passing of TOM PETTY, MGK will honor him all day with featured cuts, interviews, and a review of his newly released box set. It began in the morning with JOHN DEBELLA who featured a block of PETTY from 7:20-7:50a (ET).  

Production Dir. TONY MADDOX has prepared a special stager that will play into PETTY songs all day, and we’ll be playing hourly tributes from MGK’s DEBBI CALTON and ANDRE GARDNER. At 7p (ET) we’ll run a one-hour special hosted by our own TONY HARRIS in support of TOM PETTY’s new box set, ‘An American Treasure,’ featuring a new interview with BENMONT TENCH and MIKE CAMPBELL of the HEARTBREAKERS, along with archival interviews from TOM interspersed with a handful of songs from this 60-song collection. TONY will continue the hourly tributes until midnight.”

As for Active Rock sister station WMMR/PHILADELPHIA, PD WESTON said, “PIERRE ROBERT in middays just finished a 20-minute tribute segment with some live cuts, clips from PIERRE reporting from the floor of the WELLS FARGO TOM PETTY show from JULY 2017,
and some choice TOM shout-outs from stage about how happy he was to be ‘playing for y’all.’”

“TODAY is TOM PETTY Day for our ROCKTOBER feature,” said MICHAEL “MUD” GROSS, the PD/Afternoon host on ENTERCOM Classic Rock WCMF/ROCHESTER, NY. “We’re featuring  PETTY sets all day and PETTY live tonight.  It’s so sad every time I think about what happened. He was the best.”

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/NORTHRIDGE Triple A KCSN/LOS ANGELES OM/PD SKY DANIELS said, "We ran the “An American Treasure” special with me voicing it. TODAY, we begin every hour from midnight to 11p with a TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS song. He will always be affectionately known as 88.5 FM’s ‘patron saint.' PETTY put us on the map and lifted us out of this world." TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS did a benefit concert for the station in 2011.

BLUE SKY BROADCASTING Triple A KPND/SPOKANE-SANDPOINT APD DIANE MICHAELS said, "We are doing lots of double shots throughout the day and airing the radio special tonight."

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