Re: “,” Oct. 2 news story.
Tom Petty, forever frontman of heartland rock, has left the stage. His audiences loved him, his peers respected him. Petty never wavered from his straight-ahead brand of American rock and roll, ballads you could dance to, in cut-off jeans. For decades his songs were staples of radio play. He was a member of the super supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He gave freelyof himselfto lesser-known artists and always took the high road in any artistic dispute. Petty was an outspoken critic of the music industry’s exploitation of artists. He was homegrown and fully distilled, a 200-proof original, with talent and generosity to burn. He was an American boy searching for his “American Girl,” a heartbreaker any way you look at it.
John Van Becay,Aurora
Submit a letter to the editor via or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
