Listen free for 30 days
-
Petty: The Biography
- Narrated by: Warren Zanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $31.26
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
An exhilarating and intimate account of the life of music legend Tom Petty by an accomplished writer and musician who toured with Petty.
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise. From meeting Elvis to seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to producing Del Shannon; backing Bob Dylan; putting together a band with George Harrison, Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne; making records with Johnny Cash; and sending well more than a dozen of his own celebrated recordings high onto the charts, Tom Petty's story has all the drama of a rock and roll epic.
Now in his mid-60s, still making records and still touring, Petty, known for his reclusive style, has shared with Warren Zanes his insights and arguments, his regrets and lasting ambitions, and the details of his life on and off the stage.
This is an audiobook for those who know and love the songs, from "American Girl" and "Refugee" to "Free Fallin'" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance", and for those who want to see the classic rock and roll era embodied in one man's remarkable story. Dark and mysterious, Petty manages to come back again and again, showing us what the music can do and where it can take us.
BONUS AUDIO: In an exclusive Audible interview, author and narrator Warren Zanes discusses the cultural significance behind rock biographies, how great records continue to reveal new things over time, and the enduring and "authentic rock-and-roll cool" that is Tom Petty.
You may also enjoy...
-
Gold Dust Woman
- The Biography of Stevie Nicks
- Written by: Stephen Davis
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (the Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsay Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the "shot of adrenaline" they needed to become real rock stars - according to Christine McVie - Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard.
-
-
Interesting, detailed and compelling perspective on a lifetime in music
- By Phil on 2023-08-13
Written by: Stephen Davis
-
The Lives of Brian
- A Memoir
- Written by: Brian Johnson
- Narrated by: Brian Johnson
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brian Johnson’s memoir from growing up in a small town to starting his own band to ultimately replacing Bon Scott, the lead singer of one of the world biggest rock acts, AC/DC. They would record their first album together, the iconic Back in Black, which would become the biggest selling rock album of all time.
-
-
Things I didn’t know about is I didn’t know about Brian Johnson
- By Anonymous User on 2023-01-30
Written by: Brian Johnson
-
Kiss and Make-Up
- Written by: Gene Simmons
- Narrated by: Gene Simmons
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There would have been no KISS without Gene Simmons, the outrageous star whose superlong tongue, legendary sexual exploits, and demonic makeup have made him a rock icon. KISS and Make-Up is the wild, shocking, unbelievable story, from the man himself, about how an immigrant boy from Israel studied to be a rabbi, was saved by rock and roll, and became one of the most notorious rock stars the world has ever seen.
-
-
Fantastic Book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-07
Written by: Gene Simmons
-
Led Zeppelin
- The Biography
- Written by: Bob Spitz
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the definitive New York Times best-selling history of the Beatles comes the authoritative account of the group many call the greatest rock band of all time, arguably the most successful, and certainly one of the most notorious.
-
-
good but could have been better
- By Laqtantius on 2021-12-14
Written by: Bob Spitz
-
Chronicles
- Volume One
- Written by: Bob Dylan
- Narrated by: Sean Penn
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities: smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough.
-
-
Surprisingly good story telling
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-11
Written by: Bob Dylan
-
Lightfoot
- Written by: Nicholas Jennings
- Narrated by: Nicholas Jennings
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive, full-access story of the life and songs of Canada's legendary troubadour. Gordon Lightfoot’s name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness. His music defined the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and ‘70s, topped charts and sold millions. He is unquestionably Canada’s greatest songwriter, and an international star who has performed on the world’s biggest stages.While Lightfoot’s songs are well known, the man behind them is elusive. He’s never allowed his life to be chronicled in a book - until now.
-
-
enjoyable and interesting
- By craig on 2018-05-24
Written by: Nicholas Jennings
-
Gold Dust Woman
- The Biography of Stevie Nicks
- Written by: Stephen Davis
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (the Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsay Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the "shot of adrenaline" they needed to become real rock stars - according to Christine McVie - Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard.
-
-
Interesting, detailed and compelling perspective on a lifetime in music
- By Phil on 2023-08-13
Written by: Stephen Davis
-
The Lives of Brian
- A Memoir
- Written by: Brian Johnson
- Narrated by: Brian Johnson
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brian Johnson’s memoir from growing up in a small town to starting his own band to ultimately replacing Bon Scott, the lead singer of one of the world biggest rock acts, AC/DC. They would record their first album together, the iconic Back in Black, which would become the biggest selling rock album of all time.
-
-
Things I didn’t know about is I didn’t know about Brian Johnson
- By Anonymous User on 2023-01-30
Written by: Brian Johnson
-
Kiss and Make-Up
- Written by: Gene Simmons
- Narrated by: Gene Simmons
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There would have been no KISS without Gene Simmons, the outrageous star whose superlong tongue, legendary sexual exploits, and demonic makeup have made him a rock icon. KISS and Make-Up is the wild, shocking, unbelievable story, from the man himself, about how an immigrant boy from Israel studied to be a rabbi, was saved by rock and roll, and became one of the most notorious rock stars the world has ever seen.
-
-
Fantastic Book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-07
Written by: Gene Simmons
-
Led Zeppelin
- The Biography
- Written by: Bob Spitz
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the definitive New York Times best-selling history of the Beatles comes the authoritative account of the group many call the greatest rock band of all time, arguably the most successful, and certainly one of the most notorious.
-
-
good but could have been better
- By Laqtantius on 2021-12-14
Written by: Bob Spitz
-
Chronicles
- Volume One
- Written by: Bob Dylan
- Narrated by: Sean Penn
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities: smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough.
-
-
Surprisingly good story telling
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-11
Written by: Bob Dylan
-
Lightfoot
- Written by: Nicholas Jennings
- Narrated by: Nicholas Jennings
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive, full-access story of the life and songs of Canada's legendary troubadour. Gordon Lightfoot’s name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness. His music defined the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and ‘70s, topped charts and sold millions. He is unquestionably Canada’s greatest songwriter, and an international star who has performed on the world’s biggest stages.While Lightfoot’s songs are well known, the man behind them is elusive. He’s never allowed his life to be chronicled in a book - until now.
-
-
enjoyable and interesting
- By craig on 2018-05-24
Written by: Nicholas Jennings
-
It's a Long Story
- My Life
- Written by: Willie Nelson, David Ritz - contributor
- Narrated by: Christopher Ryan Grant
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Unvarnished. Funny. Leaving no stone unturned"...So say the publishers about this audiobook I've written. What I say is that this is the story of my life, told as clear as a Texas sky and in the same rhythm that I lived it. It's a story of restlessness and the purity of the moment and living right. Of my childhood in Abbott, Texas, to the Pacific Northwest, from Nashville to Hawaii, and all the way back again. Of selling vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias while hosting radio shows and writing song after song, hoping to strike gold.
-
-
Shotgun Willie 🩷
- By Anonymous User on 2024-07-01
Written by: Willie Nelson, and others
-
Brothers
- Written by: Alex van Halen
- Narrated by: Alex van Halen
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this intimate and open account—nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read—Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate. In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex recounts the brothers’ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born mother.
-
-
Life long fan!
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-10-27
Written by: Alex van Halen
-
Born to Run
- Written by: Bruce Springsteen
- Narrated by: Bruce Springsteen
- Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl's halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That's how this extraordinary autobiography began. Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to this audio the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.
-
-
Mostly great autobiography
- By Amazon Customer on 2017-12-20
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
-
Chuck Berry
- An American Life
- Written by: RJ Smith
- Narrated by: Phil Morris
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chuck Berry was a man of wild contradictions, whose motives and motivations were often shrouded in mystery. Throughout his life, Berry refused to shed light on either the mastery or the missteps, leaving the complexity that encapsulated his life and underscored his music largely unexplored—until now. In Chuck Berry, biographer RJ Smith crafts a comprehensive portrait of one of the great American entertainers, guitarists, and lyricists of the 20th century, bringing Chuck Berry to life in vivid detail.
-
-
THE Chuck Berry Book
- By Patrick Sperry on 2023-11-14
Written by: RJ Smith
-
Rod
- The Autobiography
- Written by: Rod Stewart
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The extraordinary life and career of music legend Rod Stewart, in his own words for the first time. With his soulful and singular voice, narrative songwriting, and passionate live performances Rod Stewart has paved one of the most iconic and successful music careers of all time.
-
-
Missing Author’s Voice
- By Johanne St-Onge on 2021-10-29
Written by: Rod Stewart
-
Mustaine
- A Heavy Metal Memoir
- Written by: Dave Mustaine, Joe Layden
- Narrated by: Tom Wayland
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Hetfield, with whom many years ago Mustaine founded a band known as Metallica, once observed, with some incredulity, that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he's been, how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. And Hetfield is right. Mustaine has been lucky. He has been blessed. But here's the thing about having a horseshoe lodged in your rectum: It also hurts like hell. And you never forget it's there.
-
-
don't waist your time
- By Blair on 2020-05-13
Written by: Dave Mustaine, and others
What the critics say
"Imagine a long ride on the tour bus with Tom and the Heartbreakers where everyone was feeling loose enough to tell all their stories. What a historic night that would be. This book is that." (Eddie Vedder)
"This amazing book is a Tom Petty biography (and it's great on that account) but it's far more than that. It's an X-ray of the most fragile, most volatile, and most sublime social unit ever invented: the rock-and-roll band. The alliances, the distortions, the deep bruises and the absurd elations that can never be explained to an outsider. Sure, Petty is a book about a rock band but it's really a book about being human - how we meet and collaborate, break up and make up, learn to trust (or not) and, once in a lucky while, sing as loud as we can. It's a masterpiece." (Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics)
What listeners say about Petty: The Biography
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- affleck
- 2017-10-18
PettyTastic!
I've been a petty fan since I was 10. I'm 45. I downloaded this book two days before Mr Petty passed away. it's been a hard listen at times and I have to admit I actually shed a few tears. I thought this book was very very well done. Mr. Penny got quite personal in his interviews. I learned a lot about mr. Petty and I actually thought I didn't have anything left to learn. I had no idea about the heroin addiction. I especially like the interview at the end of it with the author. Many thanks to you mister Zanes for the effort that you put into this great book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Taylor
- 2020-10-08
Tom Petty: Warts and all
Tom Petty has always had a special place in my heart7. the very first concert I ever saw with my mother (who also loves Tom) was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Now years later, my mother is terminally ill, (and as we all know) Tom Petty is gone. The world is a much darker place these days.
Darkness and overcoming Trauma is a big theme in this book. I had no idea how hard Tom Petty struggled with addiction and all the loss and trauma he went through.
I loved this book. The author (Warren Zanes got to know some of Tom's deepest secrets and thoughts and was an excellent narrator. I Think Warren could relate coming from a band background, and going through a messy divorce himself.
If you like Tom Petty and his music has a special place in your heart... use a credit on this book its definitely so worth it. I was sad when it ended!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!