“Turn off the radio”: The artist Tom Petty refused to write for
Tom Petty was one of America’s greatest rock talents. His extensive body of work, both as a solo artist and fronting The Heartbreakers, came to define the sounds of generation through truly iconic tracks like ‘The Waiting’, ‘I Won’t Back Down’, and, of course, ‘Free Fallin’’. His talents were always prolific and multi-faceted, performing, writing, and collaborating with a vast array of different artists over the years. Nevertheless, certain prospects were a step too far, even for Petty.
Although he achieved a colossal level of success as a solo artist, Petty’s career highlights have always been marked by collaboration and a free exchange of ideas. The Heartbreakers, for instance, were essential in carving out the inherent sound of Petty, even if he was always the frontman driving the group forward. The Traveling Wilburys is a prime example of this collaborative power, seeing Petty hold his own alongside the likes of George Harrison and Roy Orbison.
A recurring character within the life story of Tom Petty was fellow rock icon Stevie Nicks. After reaching superstar status with Fleetwood Mac, Nicks and Petty were together in the upper echelon of American rock and pop music. So, it should come as no shock that the pair were hugely influential on each other’s respective careers in the industry. In fact, it was Petty and his then-wife Jane Benyo that reportedly inspired Nicks’ defining track, ‘Edge of Seventeen’.
What’s more, the pair performed together on multiple occasions, most notably on The Heartbreakers’ 1981 track ‘Insider’, which saw Petty perform his first duet with Nicks. To say that the pair were friends would be an understatement; they were both vital in supporting each other through the trying times inherent in the music industry. However, when Nicks suggested the pair start writing music together during the 1990s, Petty outright refused.
The 1990s was a difficult period for both Nicks and Petty. Both were dealing with an increasing dependency on drugs and alcohol, and both were in the midst of failing relationships. By the mid-point of the decade, Nicks had completed her second stint in rehab, attempting to get clean and move away from drug use. During that time, she had penned her lacklustre solo album Street Angel, which was plagued by the songwriter’s personal difficulties.
So, when Nicks’ personal life was finally back on track, she recruited Tom Petty to help her music career get back on track, too. “In 1994, I had just gotten out of rehab, and Tom and I had dinner,” she later recounted to Rolling Stone. “I wanted to make a new record, but I was scared. I said to him, ‘Will you help me write a song or two?’” Everything that Petty touched during this time turned to gold, so it is no surprise that Nicks sought out his songwriting genius. However, the partnership did not exactly go to plan.
“I didn’t really expect the reaction I got, which was, ‘No, I won’t,’ recalled Nicks. Seemingly, though, Petty refused the offer for noble reasons, telling the former Fleetwood Mac singer, “‘You are one of the premier songwriters in this business. Go home and turn off the radio. Don’t be influenced by anything. Just write some great songs — that’s what you do.’” This inspiring message of hope gave Nicks the confidence boost she needed to continue. “He reinforced that I was still Stevie Nicks,” she shared.
It took a few more years for Nicks to harness that songwriting potential, unleashing her solo album Trouble in Shangri-La in 2001—around the same time that Petty himself was recovering from drug addiction. That album marked a stunning return to form for Nicks, generating a renewed interest in her music career that has never really waned in the decades since its initial release.
