Tom Petty reportedly clinging to life after being pulled off life support

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      UPDATE 2:38 pm Pacific: there are conflicting reports of Petty's death. Apparently he is clinging to life at this time.

      Celebrity website TMZ originally reported today that the 66-year-old rock legend had been rushed to hospital last night after being found unconscious, in full cardiac arrest.

      An hour later TMZ updated its post with this information: "We're told after Petty got to the hospital he had no brain activity and a decision was made to pull life support."

      CBS News confirmed at 3:59 pm Pacific time that Petty had passed away at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital.

      This is terrible news for the millions of fans who've followed Tom Petty's career, which took off in 1976 with the release of the self-titled debut album by his band, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. That album included the hits "Breakdown" and "American Girl".

      I thank my lucky stars that I got to see Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Commodore Ballroom in 1978 when they were touring behind the followup album, You're Gonna Get It. Rock 'n' roll shows do no get any better than that one.

      Petty's career reached even bigger heights with his third album, 1979's Damn the Torpedoes, which hit #2 on the Billboard album chart and spawned the classic hit "Refugee".

      Petty also achieved great success without the Heartbreakers, as his first "solo" album, 1989's Full Moon Fever, boasted five singles, including "Free Fallin'", "Running Down a Dream", and "I Won't Back Down".

      Petty will also be remembered for his membership in the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, which included George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Bob Dylan. Prior to forming the Wilburys, Petty and Dylan toured together, the Heartbreakers serving as the backing band.

      I never got the opportunity to interview Tom Petty, although I did talk to his longtime guitarist in the Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell, in 1999. At the time I asked Campbell, who was turning 50, if he'd ever considered leaving the band.

      “Every other day,” he said with a laugh. “Well, you know, it’s kinda like a marriage. Some days you’re really mad at the other person, and then if you really decide that the love is stronger than the anger, you stick it out. With this band, we love each other, and we’re still trying to make the best album we feel we haven’t quite made yet. We keep pushing for it, ya know?”

      Petty played his final Vancouver show roughly six weeks ago, on August 17, at Rogers Arena. His final song that night was one of his first hits, "American Girl".

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