Rock and roll legend reported dead of apparent heart attack last night, at 66. (He would have been 67 in three weeks). Petty was in concert as recently as last week, doing three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, just finishing up his 40th anniversary tour, in what many suspected was his last trip around the country.
He was found unconscious at his Malibu home last night, and rushed to the hospital after cardiac arrest. On life support afterwards, and with no brain activity, the decision was made to take him off life support today.
Or, not.
Conflicting reports have him dead/not dead, on life support/taken off it. What a cluster.
Well, hell.
Bands whose entire catalog I can back up on drums: his.
I've had enough of today at this point to last me until Friday.
Think I'll be busy playing drums for a bit, while TPTB figure this one out.
UPDATED: It's confirmed. Tom reached the end of the line at 8:40PM local. He's now, indeed, learnin' to fly. And I definitely don't feel a whole lot better since he's gone.
My father was found like that... it took a couple of days and no brain activity to finally make the call. His pupils weren't reacting, convulsing constantly... at that point you make the call. Family might be struggling with it, like I did. Eventually yes, decisions have to be made, then you walk out of the hospital numb for a while. I feel for his family very much.
ReplyDeleteThis has absolutely been a horrifying start to the week. Go play drums Aesop, get offline for a while, breathe. I am about to step away myself and go do some gardening.
I just put the put the first side of Pack Up the Plantation! on the turntable. (Yes, records folks. Great photos, liner notes in FOG-size type, credits, etc. Back in the day my band did a bunch of his material.) PsyWar anecdote: After President "I'm a walking ad for an orthodontist" Carter allowed Castro to open his jails I was TDY to one of the relocation bases. (Yes, Virginia, I've seen & transmitted the debriefs and there were some really bad apples that came over.) The MP unit used to blast music at that compound for awhile, almost 24/7, and "Refugee" was in the playlist at LEAST once an hour.
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