Born 76 Years Ago Today in Florida, the Classic Rock Legend Who Helped Form One of Music’s Biggest Supergroups

Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida, on 20 October 1950. He became a major figure in rock through his work with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, and helped form the Traveling Wilburys, a celebrated supergroup whose members included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.

After discovering Elvis Presley and seeing the Beatles perform on television, Petty began pursuing music with friends Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell. Their early band Mudcrutch did not find success, but Petty, Tench and Campbell later joined other musicians to form the Heartbreakers, who released 13 albums from their 1976 debut to 2014’s *Hypnotic Eye*. Petty’s solo records included *Full Moon Fever*, featuring “Free Fallin’”, and *Wildflowers”; the Traveling Wilburys released two albums, the second after Orbison’s death.