Last year, we lost an absolute titan of rock music. We’ll never be able to replace the great Tom Petty, but tonight, the Grammys have honored him in the best possible way: The awards show just projected a hologram of Tom Petty’s corpse on stage as part of a moving tribute segment to the late singer.
Wow. There is simply no better way to say goodbye to Tom Petty than seeing his slack, lifeless body right in the middle of the stage.
You could hardly find a dry eye in the crowd when Petty’s glowing silhouette appeared and remained completely motionless while Dave Grohl played a beautiful rendition of “Free Fallin’.” Although Grohl’s music received a standing ovation, the real applause has to go to the Grammys for recreating Tom Petty’s corpse with such fidelity. Every detail of Tom Petty’s remains, from his closed eyes to his ashen skin, were simulated with perfect accuracy. It really felt like Tom Petty’s dead body was still with us, instead of being buried in a cemetery.
The Grammys’ tribute to the late, great Traveling Wilbury got even more emotional as the desiccating corpse when Dave Grohl exited the stage, leaving the beautifully rendered remains of Tom Petty to slouch there for a completely silent eight minutes. The only noise that could be heard in the awe-struck room was the sound of amazingly lifelike, digitally composited flies buzzing around the hologram of the deceased rocker, periodically crawling into his slack-jawked mouth.
Man, this is proof that the Grammys know how to truly honor one of their own.
Although the Tom Petty hologram was only created for this stunning Grammys tribute, it remains to be seen if the organizers will take it on a nationwide arena tour, so fans can feel like they are front row to the real Tom Petty corpse. Until then, we must say bravo, Grammys, for a tribute to Tom Petty that we’ll never forget!