Tom Petty, the singer-songwriter who died from a heart attack this week at the age of 66, was best known outside the US for a clutch of MTV-friendly hits in the late '80s, including Free Fallin' and I Won't Back Down, as well as for playing in the era's supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys.
In his native US, however, his profile and influence were far greater. Despite an overtly modest manner, and never being primarily a singles artist, with his band the Heartbreakers he sold more than 80 million records in a career that spanned four decades. His heartfelt, melodic sound, derived from influences such as The Byrds and the Rolling Stones, and resonant of his life in California, struck a chord with fans and fellow musicians.
He was asked to join the Wilburys in 1988 because George Harrison had left a guitar at Petty's house, where they often jammed. The other members, who had already planned to record together, were Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne. Overseen by Dave Stewart and with sleeve notes by Michael Palin, the album, The Traveling Wilburys Vol 1, revived Orbison's reputation shortly before his death and greatly enhanced Petty's global standing.
This led to his solo album, Full Moon Fever, becoming a hit the following year. Free Fallin', his hymn to life in Los Angeles, reached No7 in the US.
The album also featured I Won't Back Down, in the video for which Harrison appeared, as did Ringo Starr. One example of the pervasiveness of Petty's music was that in 2015 he and Lynne, who had co-written that song, were credited on Sam Smith's hit Stay with Me, the refrain of which owed a debt to the earlier song.
Thomas Earl Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida, on October 20 1950. His father could not abide a son with obvious artistic interests and regularly beat him. When he was 11 he briefly met Elvis Presley. He immediately swapped his catapult for a set of The King's records. Also influential was seeing The Beatles perform on TV, an experience that made him want to put together his own band.
While working in part-time jobs, among them digging graves, he learnt to play guitar. His teachers included Don Felder, later of The Eagles. He taught himself to write songs by copying down lyrics from tunes played on the radio. He also fixed on an image - long blond hair, often topped by a hat and glasses - that would alter little.
By the mid-'70s, he had settled in LA and was gigging with his group, Mudcrutch, which evolved into the Heartbreakers. Their early releases made little impact but a tour of Britain in 1976 backing Nils Lofgren gave them more exposure. Their third LP, Damn the Torpedoes, which featured the single Refugee, broke through in the US, reaching No2 in the album chart, and by 1985 they were an act big enough to appear at Live Aid.
The following year they played as Bob Dylan's backing band on a tour. The day before it began, Petty survived the destruction of his house in an arson attack. Despite appearing laid-back, he had unexpected resilience. In the late '90s he overcame an addiction to heroin and before that had made a name for himself for standing up to record companies.
Early in his career he had gone bankrupt rather than be moved to a label against his wishes, and in 1981, following his early success, he resisted plans by MCA to price his next release at the "superstar" level of $9.98 rather than at the customary mark of a dollar less. The executives backed down when he threatened to call the album Eight Ninety-Eight.
In the early '90s he charted again with the LP Into the Great Wide Open, the title track of which featured a memorable video starring Johnny Depp. Petty occasionally appeared in cameo roles on screen, for instance in The Simpsons.
During the past two decades he had continued to record and perform. His solo album, Highway Companion, reached No4 in the US in 2006 and in 2014 the Heartbreakers' 13th LP, Hypnotic Eye, gave them their first No1 there.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Two years later Petty was part of a stellar line-up there which paid tribute to Harrison, trading licks with Prince as the latter played While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
In 2008 Petty gave the half-time show at the Super Bowl - always a barometer of status - and only last week the Heartbreakers played the final gig of their 40th anniversary tour, closing at the Hollywood Bowl.
In 1974 Petty married Jane Benyo - a union that was dissolved in 1996 - with whom he had two daughters. He is survived by them and by his second wife, Dana York, to whom he had been married since 2001.
1950-2017..