Classic rock fans around the world were devastated yesterday when Tom Petty passed away unexpectedly at the age of 66. But one Philadelphia radio station is helping fans through the tragic loss by playing hour after hour of Petty’s music in what is either a beautiful tribute to the late rock star or just what they do all the time.
Wow. What a heartwarming way to honor Tom Petty if it’s not what they’d be doing anyway even if he hadn’t died.
Philly’s Classic Rock 101.3 kicked off the morning with a nonstop block of Petty hits, including “American Girl,” “The Waiting,” and “Don’t Do Me Like That,” which could be a touching homage to the rock star’s prolific career or just some kind of regular “Tuesdays With The Heartbreakers” thing. At this point, it’s a little up in the air.
After playing the smash hit “Free Fallin’” for the third time in the hour, hosts Dave and Eric spent several minutes talking about how no one would ever forget Tom Petty’s singular ability to encapsulate the American experience with cool, timeless, catchy lyrics. It sounded kind of like a eulogy for the recently deceased musician, but on the other hand, they said something pretty similar last week when they played “Runnin’ Down A Dream” in their Classic Rock Countdown, so who knows? The hosts then agreed that it was time to hear some classic tracks from Petty’s supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys, and played the band’s debut album from start to finish, which is either touching or, honestly, might just be some kind of tradition these guys have.
Wow. After finding out about the sad news of Petty’s death, it feels great to hear what is either a truly beautiful memorial to the legendary rocker or a regular weekday radio show that simply does not let up on the Petty. Thanks, 101.3!
