Tom Petty honoured with his own park in native Florida

Late rocker Tom Petty has been honoured with his own park.
Family and friends of the Runnin’ Down a Dream singer joined with hundreds of members of the Tom Petty Nation! fan club for a dedication ceremony at Gainesville’s Northeast Park in Florida on Saturday (20Oct18) to celebrate the rock star’s birthday.
The park, where Petty played as a kid, was renamed Tom Petty Park.
The singer’s brother, Bruce Petty, told the huge crowd, “My brother and I grew up in this park. We played as kids. My cousin reminded me the other day of my remark that it was a sanctuary, and it really was.
“It was a place for us to escape and be kids and have fun. The fact that we are doing this today and the part that we played in it makes it so much more special.”
Petty, who died last year (Oct17), was born in Gainesville and lived there until he left for Los Angeles, his adopted home.
A lost song about his childhood home, titled simply Gainsville, appears on Petty’s newly-released posthumous box set American Treasure.
“Gainesville is an extraordinary place and if you listen to my dad’s music here, it has a different meaning,” Petty’s daughter Adria told Billboard. “The idea of the air smelling good and the trees are green – there is nothing like this park to really illustrate that.”
Meanwhile, Petty fans also gathered in California for the second annual Vampire Walk on Ventura Boulevard, which honours the rocker and his music.
The first event was arranged by a local jeweller last year following Petty’s death.