Tom Petty, a rock icon known for several hit songs like “Refugee” and “Free Fallin’”, died at 8:40 PM on October 2 after going into cardiac arrest earlier that day. After being found unconscious in his Malibu home, he was rushed to a nearby hospital and put on life support, but doctors were unable to revive him.
This news comes after several sources, such as CBS and Rolling Stone, had prematurely reported his death several hours earlier. The strange situation confused many fans who were confused about whether or not to mourn the loss of the singer. This confusion led to a much angrier response from Petty’s daughter.
The Instagram user dadlivesmatteronelove, whose account has been linked by several people back to AnnaKim Violet Petty, posted a rage-filled response to Rolling Stone’s early tribute, saying, “My dad is not dead yet but your f***ing magazine is.” She went on to accuse them of falsely reporting to get press, followed by much more graphic, pointed comments.
No media outlet to have prematurely reported Petty’s death has commented on this incident, nor has AnnaKim Petty herself.
As with most deaths from cardiac arrest, Tom Petty’s death is unexpected and tragic. However, his relatively short 66 years were certainly well spent. The original self-titled Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album was released in 1976, and between his band and solo releases, he has had a fairly steady stream of releases since then.
He was also a member of The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup which also included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison. Dylan said in response to Petty’s death, “it’s shocking, crushing news,” going on to describe his former bandmate as “a great performer, full of the light, a friend. I’ll never forget him.
Tom Petty was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and named Person of the Year at the 2017 Grammy Awards. His most recent album with The Heartbreakers came out just three years ago, and the band’s tour concluded with a third consecutive night at the Hollywood Bowl just over a week before his death.
Sources: CNN, Rolling Stone, New York Times
Image: Wikimedia Commons
For more entertainment related content, visit us at Byte Bsu!
