“Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There’s not some trick involved with it. It’s pure, and it’s real. It moves, it heals, it communicates, and does all these incredible things.” ~ Tom Petty

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Music is magic.

And one of the great rock-and-rollers who has given us much of this musical magic is Mr. Tom Earl Petty.

Just a little over a week ago, a Ticketmaster email that had gotten filtered into my “Promotions” folder caught my eye. The subject bar had Tom Petty’s name in it—and I got super excited, thinking there may be tickets available for an upcoming concert.

My heart sank when I realized the show being advertised was happening the following evening—so not enough time for me to make plans or get tickets (if there were even any still available).

Shoot, I thought. How did I miss hearing about this?

I picked up my cell phone and opened an app for tracking musicians playing locally. I added “Tom Petty” to artists I track, so that I’d get a notification next time he played a show in my area.

There, I thought. Now, I’ll know for next time—and I’ll make sure to get tickets. I’d really love to see Tom Petty play live…

Seriously, how did I not know he was touring, and that it was his 40th anniversary tour with the Heartbreakers!?

Little did I know at that time, that I may never get an opportunity to see him “next time.”

Today, while I was working from home, my husband poked his head out from the kitchen and told me that something was happening with Tom Petty—that he’d had a heart attack, and things were not sounding good.

What?!

I did a quick internet search, and sure enough, there were reports about Petty suffering from cardiac arrest Sunday night. Then a report from CBS News came up, which—at that time—claimed that Tom Petty was, in fact, dead. The article stated that he had been taken off life support and had died.

I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned. I was reeling.

I wasn’t the only one—so many people were devastated.

However, not too long after that initial report, CBS had to backtrack and update their article to reflect that their statement about Petty’s death was made prematurely. 

Spin magazine has since reported: “Tom Petty [is] clinging to life, despite previous reports of [his] death.

What will happen? How will this story end? 

Well, the thing we can all take comfort in is that…there is no end.

When Tom Petty leaves his earthly body behind, his music will live on. That’s the magic. We will always have the music Tom gave us. The music lives forever.

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**Update: It has now been confirmed that Tom Petty has left us. 

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Today, in celebration of Tom Petty’s life, I’d like to share some of my favorite Tom Petty songs:

“Won’t Back Down.”

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“American Girl.”

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“Anything that’s Rock & Roll.”

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“Listen to Her Heart.”

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“You and Me.”

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“Don’t Come Around Here No More.”

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“A Mind with a Heart of its Own.”

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“The Waiting.”

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“You Don’t Know How It Feels.”

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“Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

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“Free Fallin'”

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“Girl on LSD.”

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“Wildflowers.”

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Thank you, Tom—for the music…for everything.

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**Author’s note: This marks the sixth installment of this weekly(ish) column. It is my pleasure and privilege to curate and offer these songs for your listening enjoyment.

And, as this side of our virtual turntable scratches to an end, I shall lift the needle up…until we meet again.

Catch you on the flip side.

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Relephant:

Axl Rose + Tom Petty = Awesome Live Music Moment

Catch you on the Flip Side: 6 Songs for the ones with Tattoos.

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Author: Yoli Ramazzina
Images: Flickr/Takahiro Kyono; Flickr/Julio Enriquez
Copy editor: Caitlin Oriel