Gainesville's own Tom Petty dies from cardiac arrest

Jenny On The Railroad

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Some things in this video stood out to me:

1) I always thought Devil's Millhopper had steps to the bottom. We would go sometime back in the late 70's to early 80's and they were there then. Makes me wonder when they were added.
2) His hat toward the end had a huge stars and bars on it. He was in a fight at a frat house for wearing one :lol:. I remember seeing a lot of hats like that back in the day, probably owned quite a few. Those last few scenes had a couple confederate flags in it. Unthinkable this day and age, he would be labeled a racist if more saw this.
3) I had no idea he was a snake handler...
The Millhopper had no steps through 1971, and I don't think they were there up through spring 76, but I could be wrong. I was surprised and not real happy about seeing them on a visit back here. I understand they were necessary to save it though. Up until about the 70's I think not a lot of students knew about it. Cars were not standard like now, so most of us stayed within walking distance to stuff. I had a bicycle, and was one of a small group of people that used one. There were enough users that UF had bike racks, which mostly were empty. By early 70s bikes were used more.

Went out several times, twice with BF who borrowed a motorbike, and 2 or 3 times with some hippie type guys who were in a frat and someone had a car. 43rd St. ( the old 43rd st, not the current permutation) was pretty much a country road fairly soon when you left univeristy ave. It was pre Millhopper Shopping Center.

The only way down, and a huge part of the fun, was having something vertical to climb, and the waterfalls. The area around the rim was where couples went for privacy. At the bottom, we would pan for fossil sharks' teeth in the stream. I probably have written about the first time my very stoned male friends came over to take me with them to the Millhopper, and I sat around all day naively asking them when we were going. Sigh. Anyway, it was a great nature get away,a scenic place to be alone for lovers, tokers, and drinkers, and really interesting for those who liked fossils, paleontology, geology.

As it became more known, and frat parties and larger group activities were there, and transportation became more accessible to students, the wear and tear on the sides and the rim threatened to ruin a local treasure, and that is when efforts were made to create state protection as a park and the stairs were put in to save it.
 

78

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Last Wednesday at his Malibu home.

700x394
 

ppinesgator

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I wore out my vinyl copy of "Damn the Torpedoes" long before I headed to UF and Gainesville in 1981. To me, Tom Petty was like a school classmate who wasn't popular, wasn't bright but sure as hell had things figured out waaaay before I ever did. And I freakin loved his music.

Problem is, he was so familiar, and accessible that I stupidly took him for granted. And now he's gone.

Strangely, I am not that sad now. Any one of us would trade up to live the life he lived. But damn, I sure am gonna miss that guy I knew so well.

We got lucky.
 
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oxrageous

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A couple of things:

A) What a fitting song to end his career on. Couldn't have been a better choice.
B) He looks absolutely exhausted.

I know he died of sudden cardiac arrest. I wonder if he had been having any heart problems (irregular heartbeat, etc).
 

cover2

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A couple of things:

A) What a fitting song to end his career on. Couldn't have been a better choice.
B) He looks absolutely exhausted.

I know he died of sudden cardiac arrest. I wonder if he had been having any heart problems (irregular heartbeat, etc).
Agreed on the song choice. When I first went to Gainesville, this song had just come out and I'll always associate my time spent there with it.
 

Gatorup!

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B) He looks absolutely exhausted.

I know he died of sudden cardiac arrest. I wonder if he had been having any heart problems (irregular heartbeat, etc).

He had hurt his hip pretty bad and was having problems walking, which is probably part of why he looks so tired on stage.
 

g8tr72

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http://floridagators.com/news/2017/...-legend-music-icon-tom-petty-on-saturday.aspx


At the end of the third quarter, after the UF band plays "We Are the Boys from Old Florida" and fans lock arms and sway as they sing the UF spirit song, Petty's famous tune "I Won't Back Down" will blast across Steve Spurrier/Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to honor a local legend treasured by Gator Nation and far beyond.

"Let's celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community,'' Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "Since we are already singing 'We are the Boys,' let's go right from that into one of his great anthems and make that the way we are going to jointly celebrate Tom Petty and the Gators."

Perhaps a new tradition will be born.



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Swamp Queen

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http://floridagators.com/news/2017/...-legend-music-icon-tom-petty-on-saturday.aspx


At the end of the third quarter, after the UF band plays "We Are the Boys from Old Florida" and fans lock arms and sway as they sing the UF spirit song, Petty's famous tune "I Won't Back Down" will blast across Steve Spurrier/Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to honor a local legend treasured by Gator Nation and far beyond.

"Let's celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community,'' Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "Since we are already singing 'We are the Boys,' let's go right from that into one of his great anthems and make that the way we are going to jointly celebrate Tom Petty and the Gators."

Perhaps a new tradition will be born.



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This is awesome!
 

oxrageous

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Been listening to this song a lot the last couple of days. I love it, and think it's one of his more underrated hits.

 

RocketCityGator

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http://floridagators.com/news/2017/...-legend-music-icon-tom-petty-on-saturday.aspx


At the end of the third quarter, after the UF band plays "We Are the Boys from Old Florida" and fans lock arms and sway as they sing the UF spirit song, Petty's famous tune "I Won't Back Down" will blast across Steve Spurrier/Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to honor a local legend treasured by Gator Nation and far beyond.

"Let's celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community,'' Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "Since we are already singing 'We are the Boys,' let's go right from that into one of his great anthems and make that the way we are going to jointly celebrate Tom Petty and the Gators."

Perhaps a new tradition will be born.



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I so wish that I was going to be there. I hope it is recorded.
 

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