Tom Petty is to receive a posthumous doctorate in music from the University of Florida. The honor was agreed to at a Friday (3) meeting of the university’s board of directors in recognition of the late rock hero’s strong connections to the state, who was born in Gainesville, where the school is located.
University Chancellor Joseph Glover read the motion to award Thomas Earl Petty a doctorate. It is not yet known when it will air or if there will be a public ceremony. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, Glover read some of Petty’s accolades, including three Grammy Awards, UCLA’s Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, an American Society of Composers Award, the Golden Note Award for Authors, and Editores, the Billboard Century Award and the UF Award. 2006 Distinguished Achievement Award.
«[He’s] widely considered among the most distinctive and influential musicians of the past 50 years, “said Glover. “Their presence continues to be significant, as seen by the abundant radio broadcasts and the popularity of events like Tom Petty’s birthday party held in Gainesville. On the UF campus, Petty’s famous ‘I Won’t Back Down’ has become a mantra at sporting events and I have personally listened to the president [Kent] Fuchs sings. »
Petty once worked as a gardener at UF during his formative attempts to succeed as a musician, but he never signed up. His first (and later) band, Mudcrutch, played frequently in the Gainesville area in the early 1970s, before moving to Los Angeles in 1974. After their split the following year, Petty formed the basis of the band. new band the Heartbreakers with his teammates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench.
A few days later Petty’s death After an accidental overdose in October 2017, “I Won’t Back Down” was played in his honor at the University of Florida football team’s upcoming home game, the Florida Gators. The 1989 track, from his first solo album. Full moon fever, has since become a fixture, sung by Gators fans at every home game.
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