The Heartbreakers reunited at the Americana Honors and Awards show on Wednesday night (Sept. 16), where the group was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. It marked their first performance together since the death of Tom Petty in 2017.
The band – made up of original members Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch and Ron Blair – joined with country star Chris Stapleton to deliver a selection of Petty classics. It started with a rendition of “American Girl,” the iconic tune that remains one of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ most popular songs. After emphatic cheers from the crowd, Campbell addressed the audience.
“It’s true, we haven’t played together since 2017, and it’s really emotional and sweet to be here,” the guitarist remarked. “We have two more songs, and we’re so happy to have Chris up here with us. It’s great to see you all, I think you know this one.”
From there, the band launched into “Breakdown,” the lead single from Tom Petty & the Heartbreaker’s 1976 debut album.
READ MORE: How Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Debut Slowly Built Momentum
For their third and final song of the night, later Heartbreakers members Steve Ferrone and Scott Thurston joined the group. Together, the musicians rocked through “You Wreck Me,” a track co-written by Campbell for Petty’s second solo album, 1994’s Wildflowers.
Throughout all three songs, the Heartbreakers showed little sign of rust. The musicians still boasted the same unique talents that made them such a perfect match for Petty, while Stapleton – a devout Petty fan – was a natural and exciting addition.
Not only did this mark the Heartbreakers’ first performance since Petty’s death, it was the first time the original Heartbreakers lineup had shared the stage in over 20 years. See footage from the performance below (starts at the 8 minute mark).
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“This year marks the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,” Stapleton announced following the performance, as he introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Words cannot express how much that catalog of music means to me, but also to the world,” he continued. “It transcends genre, it transcends Americana, it transcends lots of things. It heals and it makes you feel good and it makes you want to drive too fast. And it makes you want to play music – that’s what it did for me.”
READ MORE: What Are the ‘Big 4’ of Tom Petty Albums?
While accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her late father, Adria Petty offered special thanks to Stapleton for “uniting the band.” “I don’t know if I could have seen anyone (else) play with the Heartbreakers and felt so much soul and trust in what he just did here tonight.”
In his own portion of the acceptance speech, Campbell admitted he was “still grieving” Petty’s death. “We’ll probably be grieving until the last day I live. But I’m ok, and we’re ok, and he’s ok, and the music is alive thanks to you.”
Watch the Heartbreakers With Chris Stapleton at the Americana Honors & Awards
The Best Song From Every Tom Petty Album
There’s a common thread running through Tom Petty’s catalog, and it’s the Heartbreakers.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
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