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Tom Petty Trivia Questions

How much do you really know about Tom Petty? Below are 8 true or false statements. Click each one to reveal the answer and explanation.

1.

Tom Petty was a member of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys alongside Bob Dylan and George Harrison.

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Easy
✓ TRUE

Petty joined Dylan, Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison in the 1988 supergroup, recording two albums.

2.

Tom Petty’s first band was called Mudcrutch, which formed in the late 1960s.

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Medium
✓ TRUE

Mudcrutch included future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, and they reunited in 2007 for an album.

3.

Tom Petty’s song 'American Girl' was inspired by a real-life incident of a woman jumping off a balcony.

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Medium
✗ FALSE

Petty denied this urban legend, saying the song was simply about a girl in a car on a highway, with no tragic backstory.

4.

Tom Petty’s 1989 album 'Full Moon Fever' was a solo project with no involvement from the Heartbreakers.

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Medium
✗ FALSE

While credited as a solo album, Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench both played on it.

5.

Tom Petty recorded a duet with Stevie Nicks for her song 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around'.

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Medium
✓ TRUE

Petty co-wrote the song and sang backup on the track, which became a hit for Nicks in 1981.

6.

Tom Petty famously fought his record label to keep the price of his 1981 album 'Hard Promises' under $9.

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Hard
✓ TRUE

Petty threatened to title the album 'Eight Ninety-Eight' to protest a proposed price hike, and the label backed down.

7.

Tom Petty’s song 'Free Fallin'' was written about his hometown of Gainesville, Florida.

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Hard
✓ TRUE

The lyrics reference specific Gainesville locations like the 'Ventura Boulevard' and 'Mulholland', but it's actually about Los Angeles.

8.

Tom Petty once legally changed his name to 'Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' as a publicity stunt.

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Hard
✗ FALSE

This is false. Petty never changed his legal name; the band name was just his stage moniker.

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