Tom Petty News - December 2001

Buy Everyly Strings Here! "Everly's are the best strings out there, I won't use anything else"
-- Tom Petty

Atlanta Journal-Constitution gonegator.com Review

Nothing Petty
On This Site If You're
A Fan Of Tom's!
"Bookmark it only if you're a Petty fan, in which case gonegator.com is where you want to be."
- July 2001

"I Want to Thank
Sean for keeping such a great site [gonegator.com] up and running while this one [tompetty
.com] languished away. He does quite an amazing job."
Adria Petty
- December 2002

Musician Farewell
"Touching Tribute to Howie Epstein"
- February 2003

2006

July - August
June
May
April
March
2005

December
November
October
June
May
April
March
February

2004

November
October
September
August
July
February
January

2003

December
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2002

December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2001

December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2000

December
November
October
September

Tom Petty News - December 2001

December 28, 2001

2001 Top Concerts - Following are the top 40 grossing North American concert tours of 2001, according to data issued Thursday by Pollstar magazine.

1. U2 -- $109.7 million (80 shows)
2. 'N Sync -- $86.8 million (43 shows)
3. Backstreet Boys -- $82.1 million (98 shows)
4. Dave Matthews Band -- $60.5 million (51 shows)
5. Elton John/Billy Joel -- $57.2 million (31 shows)
6. Madonna -- $54.7 million (28 shows)
7. Aerosmith -- $49.3 million (64 shows)
8. Janet Jackson -- $42.1 million (57 shows)
9. Eric Clapton -- $38.8 million (46 shows)
10. Neil Diamond -- $35.4 million (46 shows)
11. Matchbox Twenty -- $28.4 million (89 shows)
12. Rod Stewart -- $27.2 million (66 shows)
13. Jimmy Buffett -- $26.9 million (32 shows)
14. Andrea Bocelli -- $26.8 million (15 shows)
15. ``Ozzfest 2001'' -- $26.4 million (31 shows)
16. Sade -- $26.2 million (41 shows)
17. Tim McGraw -- $24.9 million (45 shows)
18. Britney Spears -- $23.7 million (31 shows)
19. James Taylor -- $23.0 million (61 shows)
20. Tool -- $20.4 million (63 shows)
21. AC/DC -- $18.9 million (34 shows)
22. Barenaked Ladies -- $17.1 million (74 shows)
23. Destiny's Child -- $17.0 million (59 shows)
24. Brooks & Dunn -- $16.6 million (63 shows)
25. Depeche Mode -- $16.2 million (40 shows)
26. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- $14.4 million (31 shows)
27. Stevie Nicks -- $14.1 million (38 shows)
28. Elton John -- $13.3 million (19 shows)
29. John Mellencamp -- $13.2 million (33 shows)
30. Michael Flatley's ``Feet of Flames'' -- $13.1 million (21 shows)
31. Blink-182 -- $13.0 million (63 shows)
32. Journey -- $12.7 million (61 shows)
33. Bon Jovi -- $12.5 million (32 shows)
34. ``Warped Tour'' -- $12.4 million (46 shows)
35. Bob Dylan -- $12.3 million (58 shows)
36. Widespread Panic -- $12.3 million (77 shows)
37. Sting -- $11.8 million (27 shows)
38. Phil Lesh and Friends -- $11.6 million (74 shows)
39. Jerry Seinfeld -- $11.5 million (62 shows)
40. Luciano Pavarotti -- $11.4 million (11 shows)

December 19, 2001

Paul Wasserman Book - This may make many actors and musicians nervous. Publicist/con-man plans to write a book. Paul Wasserman was the top show business publicist who used the names of famous clients to swindle friends. He ended up in jail last year after pleading guilty to charges of grand theft for peddling investment opportunities in such scams as a non-existent Jack Nicholson film production company.

Tom Petty was one of Wasserman's clients. So were Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, U2 and The Who.

Click here for full story.

December 19, 2001

2002 Induction Update - Yesterday I posted on the message boards about getting tickets to the induction ceremony. Today I received another email from the Hall Of Fame. Although the number they gave me yesterday worked, it was the wrong extension. SO, if you are interested in seeing the induction ceremony in NY on March 18th, call 212-484-1757. There won't be any ticket info until February 1, 2002. But, you can leave your name and phone number to be added to a waiting list.

I also asked the HOF how much tickets would be. They replied: "Upwards of $1200". Do I get a guitar with that? Do I get to play WITH the band? Does the band serve ME dinner? haha From past broadcasts of the ceremony, it is a black tie affair. I'd love to go, but can't afford that. I do think you get dinner though.

If anyone would care to donate to the March 18th GoneGator.Com fund, click on the "Support GoneGator.Com!" link in the top right! haha

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!

December 13, 2001

2002 Induction - No surprise here! - The waiting was the hardest part, but we all knew it would happen. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers will be inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced today the Inductees for the Seventeenth Annual Induction Ceremony, which will be held in New York on Monday, March 18, 2002. VH1 will exclusively air the ceremony at 9:00pm (ET/PT) on March 20th, 2002.

Announcing the Inductees in the categories of Performer, Non-Performer and Sidemen, Suzan Evans, Executive Director of the Foundation, said, "The 2002 class of inductees reflects the diversity of rock & roll. This year's honorees represent genres from Memphis Soul, early Sixties pop, classic rock to the New York punk movement. We expect this ceremony to be one of the best ever." Click here for press release!

December 11, 2001

America: A Tribute to Heroes CD - The album and DVD were released December 4th. All 5 major record companies have agreed to waive any exclusivity contract clauses and all publishing fees so that all the money generated will go to the September 11th Fund. All of the artists have also agreed to waive all their rights and fees to contribute as much money as possible.

Streams:
1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
performing "I Won't Back Down"
2. Neil Young performing "Imagine"
3. Bruce Springsteen performing "My City Of Ruin"
4. Billy Joel performing "New York State of Mind"
5. U2 performing "Walk On"

December 10, 2001
TP Nominated For Florida Award - GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Rock star Tom Petty has been nominated for the University of Florida's Distinguished Achievement Award.
Petty, the 51-year-old lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, is a Gainesville native and 1968 graduate of Gainesville High School. He left the city in 1974 and now lives in Los Angeles.
The award is ``given to individuals for exceptional achievements in a chosen profession, for demonstrated leadership, and for other exemplary accomplishments.''
The award is contingent upon its recipient making an appearance at the university's graduation ceremonies next spring. A spokesman for the singer said Petty, who did not attend the school, was looking into his schedule.
State Sen. Rod Smith and the Children's Home Society of Mid-Florida nominated Petty for his Grammy-winning contributions to music, as well as for his humanitarian efforts for Live Aid, Farm Aid, Greenpeace and other charity events, including the recent all-star telethon to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

December 2, 2001
Tom Petty Talks About George Harrison - Just a few weeks ago, in Malibu, California, Tom Petty talked to MoJo about his friendship and work with George. This extract from his interview says much about the unique spirit and generous character of the beloved musician and songwriter.
"I met George before I'd even made a record. I met him and Ringo at Leon Russell's house, where I was kind of employed for a while. It was really exciting. I was struck by how unsnooty they were and they paid attention to me, who was nobody. That's the way George is, just a really decent fellow. Years later, when we had the Wilburys, we got to be really close friends. He's someone that I love a lot. I really would forget about The Beatles but then I wouldn't and made myself a pain in the ass sometimes. 'Oh come on, tell me about this...come on ...show me how you play this...'. And he would. He's wonderful really. I've had a lot of great times with George. There's my friend and then there's the guy I see in old film clips, Hey, that's George! We spent a lot of time at his house over the years. He's really just a sweetheart. I don't want to go on or I'll be embarrassed. He did do a great thing one night, where he was cleaning out his living room, some closets or something. His wife Olivia said 'George, what do I do with this?'. He walked down the hall and said, 'You like Elvis, don't you?' and I say, 'yeah'. So he throws me this leather holster and it's Elvis's holster. Elvis had given it to the Beatles one night and George goes, 'Do you want it?'. It's signed and everything. I said, 'you don't want this?' He's like 'I gotta get all this stuff out of here.' He gave me the holster. That meant a lot to me."

George Harrison & Howie Epstein