Off Message

Tom Petty's brilliant songs captured the confusion and pain, as well as the joy, of living. They were, as his daughter said this week, 'real American art'

Tom Petty: had his demons but his friendships were fierce Pic: Sam Jones

Tom Petty wasn’t the kind of artist who looked for boundless adoration from his fans. He didn’t preach from the stage, with his hands held aloft, like a Patti Smith type carrying a message from the gods. He didn’t preen or pontificate. He wasn’t self-consciously arty.

Although he sold over 80 million records, he gave the impression that he always filled his own gas tank. He seemed like one of us: a person ...