Tom Petty laid to rest at California yoga shrine

LOS ANGELES, United States - Tom Petty's family and friends bid farewell to the rocker at a service in a California spiritual retreat, where his friend George Harrison's funeral took place 16 years ago.

One of Petty's daughter posted pictures of Monday's private memorial event and of the lotus-shaped archway to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, near the Pacific coast in Los Angeles County.

Petty, who died a week earlier at age 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest, in his later years practiced transcendental meditation, seeing a way to control anger after earlier abusing heroin and other drugs.

Daughter AnnaKim Violette Petty shared a series of images on Instagram including one of a small bouquet of flowers with the words, "You belong somewhere you feel free," a line from Petty's song "Wildflowers."

She also shared quirkier thoughts including an image from Petty's memorable "Alice in Wonderland"-themed video for "Don't Come Around Here No More," with the rocker surrounded by three platinum-blonde women in skin-tight black-and-white dresses.

"May you be protected by the hottest vixens in heaven," his daughter wrote, adding in a likely allusion to his song "The Waiting": "Heaven is something u feel."

Petty's representatives did not immediately comment on whether there would be an additional public event or a permanent marker for his remains.

The Florida-born rocker -- whose string of hits included "I Won't Back Down, "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl" -- died days after completing a tour to mark 40 years with his band The Heartbreakers.

Harrison, the former Beatle who joined Petty in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, was cremated at the Los Angeles shrine in 2001. The remains of Harrison, who was passionate about Hindu spiritualty, were then scattered in the holy waters outside of Varanasi, India.

The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine features a public garden with swans, wildlife and symbols of the world's major religions, with space for silent meditation and reflection.

The site was founded in 1950 by Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian spiritual teacher and author of "Autobiography of a Yogi" who was instrumental in bringing Eastern meditation to the United States.

The shrine, which was also a favorite retreat for Elvis Presley, features a sarcophagus that holds some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, India's slain independence hero and apostle of non-violence. — Agence France-Presse

Tom Petty Dead at 66

Tom Petty has died at the age of 66, CBS reports. Officials confirm they responded to an emergency call at his California residence on Sunday (Oct. 1). They rushed the rock legend to UCLA Santa Monica Hospital, where he reportedly passed away on Monday (Oct. 2).


Petty was born in Gainesville, FL, on Oct. 20, 1950. Despite his easy-going, affable persona, Petty endured a rough childhood, living in poverty with an alcoholic, abusive father and a mother who was in fear of her husband. But a childhood handshake with Elvis Presley in the '50s piqued his interest in rock n' roll, and at the age of 17, inspired by the Beatles and the Byrds, Petty dropped out of high school to play rock with his band Mudcrutch. Mudcrutch would break up before Petty found massive global success as the frontman for the Heartbreakers in the mid '70s (Mudcrutch reformed in 2007 and released two studio albums: 2008's self-titled and 2016's 2, his final studio effort).

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' self-titled album dropped in 1976, and although it would eventually go Gold and produce two classic rock radio staples with the singles "Breakdown" and "American Girl," the album (and those singles) weren't big hits upon initial release ("Breakdown" would later peak at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being re-released). 1978's You're Gonna Get It! fared slightly better commercially, but it was the band's third album, 1979's Damn the Torpedoes!, that found Petty breakthrough to massive success. The No. 2-peaking, triple Platinum album produced two top 20 hits with "Refugee" and "Don't Do Me Like That." In 1981, he teamed with Stevie Nicks for the hit duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."

While new wave and synth-pop took hold in the '80s, Petty stuck to his no-frills heartland rock style while still appealing to a young fan base. Platinum albums, massive tours and hit singles continued, and he began to branch out creatively from the Hearbreakers as the decade came to a closer.

After joining George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne in the supergroup-to-end-all-supergroups Traveling Wilburys – whose 1988 debut hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 – Petty continued to work with Lynne on his solo debut, 1989's Full Moon Fever. It would prove to be his most blockbuster release since Damn the Torpedoes! a decade earlier, going five-times Platinum, hitting No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and producing arguable his best-known song, the inescapable "Free Fallin'," a No. 7 Hot 100 hit. Within the space of two years, Petty followed his runaway hit solo LP with another Traveling Wilburys album as well as a new Heartbreakers album. Barely slowing his pace throughout the next three decades, Petty continued releasing albums, whether with the Heartbreakers, solo or Mudcrutch.

"We ain't no punk band, we ain't folk rock, jazz rock, or any of that bullshit. Just rock, and we don't put no other name on it than that. We'd be stupid if we did," he told Rolling Stone in the '70s.

source: billboard.com

Tom Petty to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year

NEW YORK — Tom Petty will be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year next year days before the Grammy Awards.

The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that Petty will receive the prestigious honor in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2017. Performers set to pay tribute to Petty will be announced at a later date.

Petty’s career includes inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Lionel Richie was this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year.

The Grammy Awards will air live Feb. 12, 2017, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. TVJ

source: entertainment.inquirer.net