Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar recently paid tribute to Tom Petty. In a social media post, he dropped a video clip of Petty joking about “I Can’t Drive 55” as he drives, and showed his respect for the late rock legend.
Sammy Hagar pays tribute to Tom Petty
Sammy Hagar said he wished they’d seen the clip earlier, joking he would’ve taken Tom on a wild ride for his comment, and added a heartfelt note thanking and missing Tom, saying his music is still enjoyed every day.
He wrote:
“Ha ha this is classic. I wish I would’ve seen this years ago. I would’ve taken TOM on a hell of a joyride for saying that. hey TOM, we’re still enjoying your music every day down here. thank you for that we miss you #RIP”
Tom Petty, born in Gainesville, Florida, rose to fame in the late 1970s with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty’s music reflected American sensibility and heartfelt storytelling. With hits like “Refugee,” “Free Fallin’,” “American Girl,” and “I Won’t Back Down,” he became one of rock’s most popular voices.
Tom Petty might belong to a long line of American rockers that includes Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. However, the guitarist once told former Musician editor Bill Flanagan that he saw himself as an outlier among his fellow songwriters.
“I think that I’m a little more — dare I say — eccentric than those guys,” he said in 1986. “I know all those people quite well, and I think that they’re terrific,” he quickly added, but he said an effort had to be made to avoid falling into the music’s stylistic trap.
“The only danger I see in all this ‘American music’ thing is that four chords, guitars and drums is fine — but if that’s all it’s going to be, it’s weird. Are we going to inherit nostalgia, or are we going to give this music something?”
Sammy Hagar is another example of the American dream, with his songs having an emphasis on his lifestyle, and building brands that have made him a legend in not just rock, but in the restaurant and tequila industries.
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