Bryan Adams and Billy Idol lead tributes to late rocker Tom Petty

Bryan Adams and Billy Idol were among the musicians paying tribute to their peer Tom Petty following his tragic death on Monday (02Oct17).
Petty’s passing came after he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, with his publicist Carla Sacks confirming the sad news of his death on Monday night.
“On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived.”
Following confirmation of Petty’s death, music stars took to Twitter in their droves to remember the iconic singer.
Bryan tweeted, “RIP Tom Petty. Thanks for all the great rockin’ music, hard to believe you’re gone,” while Billy Idol wrote, “Shocked & upset 2 hear about #tompetty ‘we got lucky when we found u….’…RIP.”
KISS star Paul Stanley added on his Twitter page: “No! We have lost Tom Petty. From our opening act in the seventies to becoming a brilliant songwriter and performer I have loved his music.”
Younger musicians also paid tribute to the legendary star, who had such an impact on the music industry.
Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote, “I am so grateful for Tom Petty’s music. Feels selfish to want more, but I always will. Rest in peace”, while John Mayer tweeted, “I loved Tom Petty and I covered his songs because I wanted know what it felt like to fly. ‘you belong somewhere you feel free’.”
Songwriter and performer Jack Antonoff appeared overcome with emotion as he tweeted: “tom petty changed my life. there is a reference to him in everything i’ve ever written. i love his work and life”, while Nickelback shared a similarly passionate response to Petty’s death, writing on Twitter: “We are heartbroken beyond words. Shattered. Tom Petty’s music has been a huge part of our lives. Our thoughts are with his family & friends.”
Born in Gainesville, Florida, Petty dropped out of high school at 17 in order to join Mudcrutch, a band he reformed a decade ago. After the band split, Petty put a solo career on hold to form Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Mudcrutch bandmates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, bassist Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch in 1976.
Petty also tasted success away from the Heartbreakers when he joined pals Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and George Harrison in the Traveling Wilburys in the late 1980s, and he enjoyed a string of solo hits from his 1989 album Full Moon Fever. The legendary rocker scored 18 Grammy nominations and picked up three wins.