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Tom Petty had his roots in Florida, and he never let go

Related Topics: Tom Petty, Florida

Tom Petty went all rock star on us, but the music icon was very much a Florida guy.

The musician, who died Monday at age 66 after suffering a massive heart attack, was born in Gainesville.

Before he was a household name as the lead singer for The Heartbreakers, Petty was your (above) average wannabe rocker.

In 2014, as Gainesville’s iconic Lipham Music store was closing, owner Buster Lipham reminisced about the skinny blond guy who used to hang around his shop in the ’60s. Back then, the rocker was known as “Tommy” Petty, Lipham told The Gainesville Sun.