In 1980, Stevie Nicks became friends with Tom Petty. In 2006, he gave her the most beautiful gift she’s ever received
Stevie Nicks’s friendship with Tom Petty grew from their work together on her debut solo album, *Bella Donna*. Petty gave her “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, a duet that became a hit and helped cement a bond that later led to Nicks performing with the Heartbreakers.
In 2006, Nicks played 27 shows with the band. Petty gave her a platinum sheriff’s badge set with 24-karat gold and diamonds, inscribed “To Our Honorary Heartbreaker, Stevie Nicks” and “To the Only Girl in Our Band”; she said she kept it on her top hat and called it the most beautiful piece of jewellery a man had ever given her.
In short
- Petty and Nicks became friends while making her solo debut.
- She performed 27 shows with the Heartbreakers in 2006.
- Petty gave her a jewelled badge honouring her as the band’s only girl.
Explained simply
Stevie Nicks is an American singer who rose to fame with Fleetwood Mac before launching a solo career. Tom Petty was a singer and guitarist who fronted the Heartbreakers, a rock band. Their friendship began while they were working on Nicks’s first solo album, Bella Donna.
Petty gave Nicks the song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, which they recorded as a duet and which became a hit. She later performed with the Heartbreakers, joining them for a run of concerts in 2006. Their musical partnership and friendship help explain why Petty’s personal gift to her held such meaning.