Tom Petty hospitalized and clinging to life, report he had died has been 'clarified' (Update: Dead at 66)

Update: Petty’s manager just released a statement confirming he passed away Monday night.

https://twitter.com/passantino/status/915063690629496832

[End update]

Advertisement

Tom Petty was found unconscious in his home Sunday night and rushed to the hospital where, according to TMZ, it was found he had no brain activity:

EMTs rushed to his Malibu home and were able to get a pulse. He was rushed to the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital and our sources say he was put on life support…

UPDATE:  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 then confirmed the story stating that Petty was “dead”:

Tom Petty, the rocker best known as the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, is dead at 66, CBS News has confirmed…

In December, Petty told Rolling Stone that he thought this would be the group’s last tour together. He said, “It’s very likely we’ll keep playing, but will we take on 50 shows in one tour? I don’t think so. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was thinking this might be the last big one. We’re all on the backside of our sixties. I have a granddaughter now I’d like to see as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road. This tour will take me away for four months. With a little kid, that’s a lot of time.”

Advertisement

Rolling Stone put a story up citing the confirmation by CBS News and including this statement from Petty’s former bandmate Bob Dylan:

“It’s shocking, crushing news,” Petty’s friend and Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan tells Rolling Stone in a statement. “I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.”

However, TMZ has since pulled back and says Petty, though not expected to live much longer, is clinging to life:

CBS News has now updated its story which now reads, “An earlier LAPD report which confirmed the singer’s death, and which CBS reported, has since been clarified.” The LAPD put out two tweets which don’t really clarify how this happened:

Advertisement

Petty’s official Twitter account posted a tweet Friday afternoon thanking fans for 40 years of support. The tweet included a video which adds, “Now it’s time for a nap…” and then rolls credits on the tour accompanied by photos of the crew taking naps.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Ed Morrissey 2:20 PM | October 09, 2024
Advertisement
Advertisement
David Strom 11:20 AM | October 09, 2024
Advertisement