The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell compares Tom Petty’s 2017 death to “losing your right arm”

Mike Campbell says he is still grieving Tom Petty’s death, describing it as “like losing your right arm”. The Heartbreakers guitarist says performing the band’s songs helps him remember their close musical and spiritual bond and keep Petty’s work alive.

Petty died aged 66 on 2 October 2017, less than a fortnight after the band’s final concert at the Hollywood Bowl; his death was later attributed to an accidental overdose involving prescribed painkillers for a hip injury. Campbell, who first met Petty in 1970, says he has learned to cope with the loss and treasures his memories. His reflections accompany a box set covering the band’s early years, while the surviving Heartbreakers reunited for a one-off performance with Chris Stapleton in September.