Tom Petty loved being in a band and had a big rule: never give up, even when things get tough. Making music can be hard when you’re competing with super famous artists, but the best ones don’t get scared. They look at what others do and think, “Can we do it even better?”
Tom wrote a song called “I Won’t Back Down,” which is all about not giving up. But even he once said that a famous blues singer, John Lee Hooker, was so amazing that he made Tom and his band, the Heartbreakers, feel like beginners, even when they were really good.
By the 1990s, Tom and the Heartbreakers had practiced a lot and turned into a super strong band. They started as a simple rock group, but with Steve Ferrone playing drums, their live shows got loud and exciting. Everyone could feel the energy when they played.
Their music got softer with an album called Wildflowers, but it still had lots of power. A song like “Honey Bee” sounded like old blues music on paper, but when the Heartbreakers played it—especially with Mike Campbell’s cool guitar start—it felt wild and alive, like being in a fun, smoky music club.
Tom wanted his band to be great, and he learned a lot from working with Bob Dylan in the 1980s. Bob liked to mix things up during shows, changing songs suddenly. Tom and his band had to be quick and ready to follow along, which made them even better at playing together.
But Tom was really amazed when he saw John Lee Hooker perform. John’s music was different from other blues stars like Muddy Waters or B.B. King. His songs were simple and strong, almost like magic. He helped create the kind of music that later turned into rock ‘n’ roll, like what Chuck Berry played.
One night, Tom and Bob Dylan were playing when John Lee Hooker joined them on stage. Tom said, “Bob told us, ‘John Lee Hooker is here, and he’s going to play.’ Then John came out and was so incredible. He was like a superhero of music. Bob even warned us, ‘Don’t change the music with John Lee Hooker—he just keeps going his way.’ Bob tripped and fell from laughing. It was an awesome night.”
Seeing John play taught Tom how powerful blues music could be. It made him want to learn more. On later albums like Mojo, Tom tried to make his music sound raw and real, just like John’s. He didn’t want to stick to one kind of music—he wanted to keep growing and trying new things. For Tom Petty, the blues was a big adventure that helped him become an even better musician.
