Gainesville's own Tom Petty dies from cardiac arrest

-THE DUDE-

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Saw him play in Indy this year for the first time...was never a huge fan but the wifey and her family are HUGE fans of his...they are gonna be super bummed.
 

78

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There's a four- or five-hour documentary on the band and its G'ville roots and its rise that's really worth the sitdown. Saw it a several years ago, then again a few years ago, maybe on Netflix. Really well done. They went through some hell together before they got it together.

It'll be a collector's item now. Sheez, hard to believe he's gone.

All of this on what was a great day for me personally. I've been battling bladder cancer for five months. Got a clean bill just today.
 

Double Gator Dad

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I attended grade school at Sydney Lanier Elementary with his brother Bruce back in 1966-68 (yes, I am really old). I believe that Bruce still lives in Gainesville but I may be wrong.
This one will take me awhile to get over.
 

TheDouglas78

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Saw him just a few years ago at Amalie Arena, was definitely showing his age. But was one of the better concerts I saw that year. The wife and I were just talking about if he came back through we would see him again.
 

Double Gator Dad

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Saw him just a few years ago at Amalie Arena, was definitely showing his age. But was one of the better concerts I saw that year. The wife and I were just talking about if he came back through we would see him again.


Same here.
I hated that I missed his reunion concert in Gainesville in 2006 so I promised myself that I would not miss out again...........
 

TLB

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In my travels, and living, across America - claiming to be from the same town, and HS as Petty, was one of the things I took some pride in. Never made it to a concert but always appreciated the music he made. He will certainly be missed.

From what I was told, he dropped out of Gainesville High School, never graduated. Also, heard he didn't really care for Gainesville in that he felt they didn't get the support they deserved while trying to make it as a band.

Rest in Peace, music man.
 

gatormandan

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All of this on what was a great day for me personally. I've been battling bladder cancer for five months. Got a clean bill just today.

Hang tough man. I finished 45 radiation treatments just last month myself. Congrats....
 

Double Gator Dad

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In my travels, and living, across America - claiming to be from the same town, and HS as Petty, was one of the things I took some pride in. Never made it to a concert but always appreciated the music he made. He will certainly be missed.

From what I was told, he dropped out of Gainesville High School, never graduated. Also, heard he didn't really care for Gainesville in that he felt they didn't get the support they deserved while trying to make it as a band.

Rest in Peace, music man.


I have never heard that he didn't like Gainesville but I don't doubt that at all.

My understanding was that he knew that nothing was ever going to happen for him and his band in Gainesville so he was always looking to move beyond.
Later in life he did his best to try and diminish his time in Gainesville which supports your statement
 

TN G8tr

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I went to his concert here in Nashville back in May. I took my oldest married daughter as she and her siblings grew up on TP's music and that we lived in Keystone. Told my wife when I got home that is was the best concert that I had been to in a long time (Joe Walsh opened up) and that I had a feeling that I wouldn't ever get the chance again. This was a huge part of my childhood along with Gator Football. It won't be the same.

RIP Tom Petty
 

ThreatMatrix

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I attended grade school at Sydney Lanier Elementary with his brother Bruce back in 1966-68 (yes, I am really old). I believe that Bruce still lives in Gainesville but I may be wrong.
This one will take me awhile to get over.

Oh wow. In '79 I was playing foosball at a bar on south 13th and Petty song came on the guy I was playing against said "hold on that's my brother on the radio". I doubted to this day that Tom even had a brother but I guess that was Bruce.
Thanks for the music, Tom. RIP.
 

Double Gator Dad

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Oh wow. In '79 I was playing foosball at a bar on south 13th and Petty song came on the guy I was playing against said "hold on that's my brother on the radio". I doubted to this day that Tom even had a brother but I guess that was Bruce.
Thanks for the music, Tom. RIP.

Bruce looks a lot like his brother only with brown hair.
 

GatorJ

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Saw him just a few years ago at Amalie Arena, was definitely showing his age. But was one of the better concerts I saw that year. The wife and I were just talking about if he came back through we would see him again.

He played in Tampa back in May. Wife and I were bummed that we missed it. Vowed we wouldn't miss the next one.
 

78

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At the risk of sounding like a really bad joke, Petty may not be dead.

Yeah, I just said that.

LAPD says it cannot confirm his death and CBS has retracted its earlier report of his death.

Uh, wow.
 

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