# Tom Petty’s Daughter on the Ambitious Future of His Legacy

- Link: https://www.rsgiradio.ru/tom-pettys-daughter-on-the-ambitious-future-of-his-legacy/
- Published: 2021-11-23T15:28:15+03:00
- Author: Владимир Чуев

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---

# Tom Petty’s Daughter on the Ambitious Future of His Legacy

 By [Devon Ivie](https://www.vulture.com/author/devon-ivie/)

[@devonsaysrelax](http://twitter.com/devonsaysrelax)

---

[[

“My dad was like, ‘Look, when I die, if you guys want to do commercials, please 
don’t think that I’ll be pissed. Do it.’” Photo: Trafalgar Releasing

It’s weird — or tragic, rather — to realize four years have passed since the death
of Americana hero Tom Petty, a passage of time that perhaps doesn’t seem as long
due to the thoughtful projects that have emerged in the aftermath. We’ve been blessed
with a fascinating treasure trove of [demos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-g_THmIqI8&feature=emb_title),
[box sets](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/tom-petty-box-set-listen-to-the-previously-unreleased-songs.html),
and [previously unreleased music](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/tom-petty-box-set-listen-to-the-previously-unreleased-songs.html)
since 2017. But this month, Petty’s estate released its most substantial legacy 
project yet: _Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers_, a 
documentary that traces the recording process of his seminal solo album _Wildflowers.
_What began as an outlet for Petty to free himself [of the Heartbreakers](http://www.vulture.com/2020/11/interview-mike-campbell-on-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers.html)’
democratic process turned into, well, essentially still a band album, with his sonic
brothers-in-arms [Mike Campbell](http://www.vulture.com/2020/11/interview-mike-campbell-on-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers.html),
Benmont Tench, and Howie Epstein working in the finest studio environment with the
best artists Petty could find. The documentary is poignant just as it is cheerful,
and you’ll come away knowing a lot more about how _Wildflowers _reflected that specific
time in Petty’s life. Also, hell, I had no idea that the Steve Miller Band smash“
The Joker” served as inspiration for “You Don’t Know How It Feels.”

Three important women in Petty’s life are the current managers of his estate: his
daughters, Adria and Annakim, and his widow, Dana Petty. Adria, an artist and director,
executive-produced _The Making of Wildflowers, _and she possesses a strong vision
for what the future of her father’s legacy looks like — for tenured and new fans
alike. “As long as it’s contributing to humanity, and it’s something of quality,
we would consider it,” she recently told me over breakfast near Central Park. “That’s
the litmus test.” Does that mean a museum? Absolutely. A Broadway show? Well, that’s
another story.

**Your dad says in archival footage that _Wildflowers_ was the best album he ever
made. Do you also feel that way?**
 I think it’s probably his greatest album. But
then somebody puts _Full Moon Fever _in front of you, or _Damn the Torpedoes_, or
the first Heartbreakers album, and you’re like, _This is the greatest album_. But
_Wildflowers _is the greatest album, I think, from a songwriting perspective. It’s
not a pop album. It’s a confessional, novelistic, Americana masterpiece. It’s not
writing the perfect rock song, or a guitar ballad, or a hot song. It’s his autobiography.
It’s his beautiful autobiographical work. It’s my favorite album in terms of feeling
the closest to my dad.

**How does it make you feel closest to him?**
 Everything about that album makes
you feel like he’s in the room. His humor is in it. Even a line like, “It’s time
to move on, it’s time to get going.” There’s something very conversational about
the way he’s turning phrases and talking about everything from being the boy in 
the corduroy pants to having the girl at the high-school dance — like his whole 
sort of idyllic upbringing.

**I liked that Tom referred to himself as a “soul singer” in the documentary. I 
don’t think I’ve ever heard that characterization of his music before.**
 Yeah, 
it was interesting. I think it works because he’s saying it with humility. I didn’t
want it to feel like it was appropriation, like he thought he was on par with Black
soul singers, because I definitely don’t think he is saying that. I think he’s saying,
_I come from the same source_, which is gospel and folk — that screaming source 
of emotion from the heart. He did come from that Baptist Christian background. He
studied soul singers and sang songs like “Shout” and “Louie Louie” and would do 
covers in topless bars to develop his style and his phrasing. He loved all kinds
of soul, R&B, and rock music. He was always compared to Bob Dylan as a singer, but
my dad’s singing is achingly beautiful and unique, like Willie Nelson and Neil Young
are achingly beautiful and unique. It’s an interesting insight, isn’t it? It’s the
first time you would think of him in that way. I do think it’s accurate.

  В сети появилось неизвестное интервью Глеба и Вадима Самойловых

**Around the time he was recording _Wildflowers_, you said that your dad found “
the spirit” of himself in grunge artists such as Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder. What
was it about them that spoke to Tom so deeply?**
 I think he saw himself as a purist.
He always felt like, with the guys, they would put on guy-liner and they’d wear 
leather jackets in their careers. But for the most part, they would roll onto stage
in plaid shirts and jeans. They’re very pure with their rock and roll. Particularly
in the beginning of my dad’s career, it was a lot more of that emotive, aggressive,
and punkier spirit. That older generation was still very committed to rock, rhythm,
and blues, but they had to keep innovating. I think that when _Nevermind_ and _Ten_
hit, my dad just thought, _There’s a lot of value here. These guys are in the vein
of what we’re doing, but they’re adding dynamite and a powder keg to it, and I really
like that_. That’s where you get “You Wreck Me” and some of the vibrato, or the 
way the organ sounds on “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” It has this sort of watery
sound. You can hear that in bands like Soundgarden. My dad thought Nirvana and Pearl
Jam were legitimate.

**You mentioned your dad’s sense of humor. Can you tell me more?**
 I laugh just
thinking about his jokes sometimes. I mean, my dad’s humor is in everything he does.
Even on _Damn the Torpedoes_, you hear Marcie CampbellThe wife of Heartbreakers 
guitarist Mike Campbell.  in one of the songs“Even the Losers”!  saying, “It’s just
the normal noises in here!” He wanted to incorporate her talking in the recording
booth for no reason besides it being amusing to him. He crops up with these little
dad jokes all the time.

**The documentary is the biggest project you and the estate have worked on since
Tom died four years ago. What made you want to tell the full _Wildflowers_ story?**

It was a very natural evolution. We were in the archives getting ready to put out
_Wildflowers & All the RestA deluxe box set that was released in April 2020. It 
included ten songs from the Wildflowers sessions that were left off the album, five
of which were previously unreleased. _, which was my dad’s swan-song project. He
worked really hard on sequencing that second disc before he died. He even pulled
it back from the label to tinker with it one last time before he went on tour. In
the archives, I was just like, _I want to see every single thing they have from 
this era_. Also, I happened to be there a lot while they were recording the album.
I knew there were a lot of people with cameras and Rick Rubin had a camera. Can 
we see if we can find some of the energy and the mood from the studio? It was the
type of magic that gives you goosebumps and that’s what I wanted people to feel 
when they heard this record — there was an alchemy in the room between these incredible
musicians, writers, singers, and producers. It was like lightning in a bottle.

The film gives you this deeper ability to feel who Tom really was. For me, it’s 
just like, _That’s my dad. That’s really my dad. That’s not capital T, capital P.
_I used to always joke, “When my dad was on the road, he was TOM PETTY. Then he’d
come home and he’d be dad or Tommy.” He would calm down and stop yelling at everybody
to get him stuff. He was sort of like two different people, but the guy in the studio
was the normal guy. He wasn’t a rock star. He was very comfortable and very much
like the same person he would be in a layman’s life. You really see him the way 
that I see him as a person.

  Группа «ТРИЛИСТНИК»

**There’s a lot of talk in the documentary about where your dad was, emotionally
and mentally, while recording _Wildflowers_. He was starting therapy and on the 
cusp of a divorce with your mom, which was reflected in a lot of the songs. What
do you remember about that time?**
 A lot of musicians … I don’t want to say this
in a disparaging way, because I have so much respect for musicians and I do think
that this is part of the art form, but a lot of them escape into the work instead
of dealing with their problems. They put all of their problems into the art and 
don’t stop working to deal with the problems that are inspiring these songs. I think
my dad was really trying to do the work, go to therapy, and figure out how to handle
the depression and dissatisfaction he was feeling. My mom was also in therapy, but
I think that they hit a point where they outgrew each other and where their lives
were divergent. They had been fighting a lot. It was not a pleasant environment 
in the house. He was gone for two years making this record — drawing a love letter,
a thank you, and a permission slip to move forward.

Where my dad is from, in the South, people get married and they stay married no 
matter what. No matter what goes on, no matter how dysfunctional, no matter if your
needs are met or not. I think that for my dad, it was very difficult. He was very
loyal to my mom. He credited her with a lot of his success. My mom cut my dad’s 
hair and went vintage shopping to find his clothes. There was no conscious uncoupling
at that point. So it was a really heavy journey for him. He was going through it
and he wasn’t talking to a lot of people about it. He was talking to me about it,
he was talking to his therapist about it, and I think he was talking to Rick a little
bit about it. But I don’t think he was talking to the band.

**What did your mom think when she heard the album?**
 I’ve never asked her, actually.
Maybe I should. She used to always say, “Change your love, change your wife, change
your life. But it’s cheaper to keep her.” [_Laughs_.] She joked about getting divorced
and it happenedPetty and Jane Benyo divorced in 1996. .

**What did you learn most about your dad’s music while making the documentary?**

He looked at albums cinematically, like a three-act structure. My dad overthought
everything and was very protective of the presentation so that it seemed effortless.
But actually, it was, like, perfect every time.

**You’re now managing the estate and legacy of one of the most popular musicians
in American history. What are your main goals, especially when you’re mixing a documentary
like _Wildflowers_ with **[**a wardrobe collaboration with Rodarte**](https://store.tompetty.com/collections/rodarte-x-tom-petty)**?**

We’re still in our infancy. With _Wildflowers_ being such an important tentpole 
of Tom and the band’s legacy, we really wanted to make sure that it had a global
reach. I even made sure that they subtitled the songs in several languages so you’re
feeling the music. But the way we’ve been doing it has been pretty organic. It starts
with the music and we take it to the band and all of the confidants, which we internally
call the Council of Elders. [_Laughs_.] It’s the band members, roadies, engineers,
and our favorite A&R guy at Warner Bros.

My sister is about ten years younger than me. It’s very important to her that the
younger fans are recruited. We want younger people. We want people of color. We 
want queer people. We want people from other countries to understand that there’s
a 40-year body of work that can uplift you and make you feel amazing. My dad was
a person of integrity, decency, and depth. We wanted to broaden the scope of it.
So with projects like Rodarte … our dad loved old movies, and their couture stuff
has the feel of Greta Garbo with their dresses and jackets. Funny enough, that’s
totally my dad’s shit. He loved that stuff. I can’t count how many times my dad 
made me watch _Ninotchka_ or _Grand Hotel_. Sometimes the fans get a little uncomfortable
when we do collaborations like Rodarte, and I knew they wouldShe later clarified
that “uncomfortable” meant the cost. The Rodarte collection, which includes sweatshirts
and sweatpants, ranges from $150–$253 in price. . But a lot of money went to charity25
percent of the Rodarte sales went to a charity that brings music instruction to 
underserved communities. . We don’t exploit the music.

  Смольский - о конфликте с Кипеловым, про Арию, Rage и о том, как чуть не умер 
во время концерта

**Are there any specific estate requests that get an immediate no?**
 Every Republican
politician wants to use “I Won’t Back Down” while campaigning. That’s pretty much
a definite no. All of them have tried. It’s funny, because there’s this really great
interview with my dad when the record came out from an Australian television show.
He says something like, “I wanted to write an anthem for people to be able to speak
up for themselves. But, you know, sometimes you really should back down. You don’t
want to be a dick and not back down when you really should.” He said it from much
more of a mantra of self-awareness and strength.

My dad was very adamant that representations of his music be diverse and inclusive.
It’s an honor to work in service to that gift, so we try to view it like that. We
say no to commercials. We turn down many millions of dollars in commercial offers
every year, although I don’t know if that will always be the case. Even at the end
of his life, my dad was like, “Look, I actually think I messed up. Remember when
Fleetwood Mac licensed ‘Go Your Own Way’? That’s actually kind of cool. This is 
how people are starting to hear about music now that there’s not really a radio 
culture anymore.” He had regrets about saying that he’ll never, ever put his music
in a commercial. But at the same time, I don’t want somebody to think about Capital
One when they hear “Free Fallin’.” I want people to feel like they’re alone in their
car and that’s their song. I think there’s a sacredness to the work that the band
did that we’re really protective of. But still, my dad was like, “Look, when I die,
if you guys want to do commercials, please don’t think that I’ll be pissed. Do it.”
It’s our job to be great students and gentle handlers, not egomaniacs.

**What are your biggest ambitions for Tom’s estate now? Does, for instance, something
like a museum or Broadway show appeal to you?**
 I look at what Bob Dylan has done
with his enormous catalogue … although he’s still alive, of course. He’s done some
really beautiful things on the stage with _Girl From the North Country. _He has 
incredible people working with him to canvass those offers and do things that are
unique. I think there’s nothing off the table if it’s of quality and the band and
the family are in agreement that it’s wonderful. Do I personally want a jukebox 
musical about Tom Petty on Broadway? Not really. But if somebody’s got an amazing
take on it, if it gets the music to a lot of people, if it gets people rocking out
to the music in a cool way, and if it’s done with quality? Absolutely.

I’d love to see a museum dedicated to my father. I think that’s an undertaking that
will take a great deal of time and I would love to see that happen. We just want
to make sure people can get together without getting each other sick, get into the
archives, and actually see what we have. It’s an overwhelming amount of stuff to
do even in my lifetime, but I really hope it gets done in my lifetime. My dad talked
so much about his work, left so many clues behind, and left so much unreleased music
behind that we really do have a job ahead of us — to be able to continue to give
that contribution to the world and memorialize it.

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