Tom Petty’s untimely passing in October 2017 inspired the annual Birthday Bash Festival that has gone ahead, in celebration of the late icon every year since. And, despite the difficulties of 2020, this year was no exception. Marking what would have been Petty’s 70th birthday on October 20th friends, peers and fans of the late rocker came together for a massive three-hour-long Livestream that included covers, birthday wishes and more, featuring both new and archival footage.
Among the music performances, the Flaming Lips covered “Listen To Her Heart,” Foo Fighters delivered their own version of “Honey Bee,” Beck covered “Don’t Come Around Here,” Brandi Carlile did “Wildflowers,” and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench reunited for a show-closing performance.
Non-musical appearances, Stevie Nicks read a letter about her endearing friendship with the late singer-songwriter; while Pearl Jam frontman, Eddie Vedder shared archival footage of thousands of fans singing happy birthday to Petty at a past show. You can watch the stream in its entirety here!
Earlier this month, the Tom Petty estate released Wildflowers & All the Rest, an archival collection of famed lost recordings from his 1994 solo masterpiece, Wildflowers. The comprehensive reissue features a stack of unreleased songs, demos, home recordings, live performances, alternate recordings and much more. Check it out here.
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