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Celebrities React To The Death Of Tom Petty

Celebrities React To The Death Of Tom Petty
Tom Petty performing in February 1990.
NBC via Getty Images
Tom Petty performing in February 1990.

Tom Petty, lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, died on Monday after being found unconscious in his home, his family announced. He was 66.

The “Free Fallin’” singer was rushed to the hospital, where he was subsequently taken off life support.

Tom Petty performing in February 1990.
NBC via Getty Images
Tom Petty performing in February 1990.

Several news outlets, including HuffPost, had erroneously announced the singer’s death earlier in the day after the Los Angeles Police Department “inadvertently provided” information to the media. Those stories were retracted and the police apologized for the error.

Late Monday, the band’s manager released a statement confirming the death of the music icon:

The loss is a blow that has the music world mourning yet another tragedy.

Petty was a beloved member of the industry and gave fans hits like “I Won’t Back Down,” “You Don’t Know How It Feels” and “Breakdown.” His career spanned over 40 years and has inspired artists for decades.

Fellow musicians and celebrities shared their memories and condolences on Twitter.

This story has been updated to include confirmation Petty died and to account for earlier mistaken reports of his death.

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