Behind every musical legend is a multi-layered story of how they even got to a status of fame. From where a person grew up to the people they surrounded themselves with, every one of these factors unknowingly has an influence on the way their career turns out.  

Places like Los Angeles and New York City are breeding grounds for the world’s biggest pop stars, and it comes as no surprise that most major musical celebrities were raised in these areas. But sometimes you stumble upon places like Gainesville, Florida where most would consider it widely unknown, yet it has an unexpected history of producing stardom. 

The biggest name to come out of this quaint, Spanish moss-infested city is none other than Tom Petty, lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty was born and raised in Gainesville and was involved in the Gainesville music scene since he was a teenager. 

A part of being raised in a city like Gainesville is there is unlimited room for being as openly creative as you want, since bands that started here back in the 60s and 70s weren’t actively trying to make it big, they just wanted to have a good time.  

“My favorite memory was the ridiculous show he put together, including his band and our band and some other players, called Tommy Ohmage and the Fantabulous Tornadoes. We had one rehearsal at his apartment and then played the outdoor show. It was supposed to be funny and it was.” says Marty Jourard, former friend of Petty.  

Jourard grew up playing in bands throughout the Gainesville scene and was a friend of Petty and well as Don Felder, former lead guitarist of the Eagles, during this time. 

 The upper hand of being a young musician in Gainesville is that that you had everything in your favor to get the exposure that any new band back then would dream of. From fraternities, bars, clubs, concert settings, and all kinds of gigs offered through the university, the fun was endless.  

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“Looking back on that time I realize it was a kind of paradise for a young person playing rock music.” 

-Marty Jourard  

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Pictured is Jourard holding a can of beer and Petty sitting adjacent to him wearing sunglasses (Circa 1972) 

Before Petty left Gainesville in 1974 to take his dreams of being a rock star to Los Angeles, he was known locally for being the lead vocalist in his band Mudcrutch. You could find them performing songs freckled with local references five nights a week at bars like Dub’s and High Dive.  

Many of these songs are still echoing through University of Florida’s campus, as his notable tune American Girl was based on a suicide leap from a UF dorm named Beaty Towers.  

“He was a good songwriter in Gainesville, and he became a great songwriter in Los Angeles. He just kept getting better and better at songwriting and recording. He was still full of amazing songs on that last album, not running out of ideas at all. Which makes his death even more tragic.” Jouard expressed 

Petty’s most popular song I Wont Back Down is annually played after the third quarter at The Swamp, continuing Petty’s legacy at University of Florida. Petty’s music will always be a staple in UF culture, and this shows exactly why Petty has never only belonged to the past and why his music sounds so unmistakably alive today.