Tom Petty Born: Heartbreakers Frontman Enters Rock History
Tom Petty recorded 'Don't Do Me Like That' on a four-track in his garage and got turned down by every label before Shelter Records said yes. That was 1976. He spent the next four decades making American rock music that sounded effortless because he'd worked so hard at making it that way. When MCA Records tried to release his 1981 album Hard Promises at a higher price point, he refused to deliver the master tape until they backed down. He won. He died on October 2, 2017, of an accidental drug overdose at 66.
October 20, 1950
76 years ago
What Else Happened on October 20
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Maria Theresa inherited the Austrian throne in 1740 at age 23. Her father had spent years securing promises that Europe would accept a female ruler. France, Pru…
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