It’s been a tough news week for sure. Having spent a lot of time in Las Vegas during TCU’s stay in the Mountain West Conference (some years we would travel there five times), I knew exactly where Sunday night’s mass shooting had taken place. My heart goes out to the families of all those killed and injured as well as to all citizens of Las Vegas.

Then, out of nowhere, the news comes down Monday afternoon that the great Tom Petty had suffered a heart attack. He died later that night. Petty’s death was a shock to the music world and sparked a lot of memories. I remember the first time I ever heard Tom Petty. It was the fall of 1979, I was driving in my 1972 Buick Skylark (with a dent in the roof) to Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas one morning. I was listening to “The Zoo” (98FM, KZEW) when Don’t Do Me Like That came on. I was hooked immediately by the opening guitar riff and couldn’t wait to go to Sound Warehouse and buy a cassette copy of Petty’s new album, Damn The Torpedoes.

Tom Petty performed in Dallas at the American Airlines Center in April. Photo by John Denton

I went to see Tom Petty in April at the American Airlines Center. Glad I did. It was a great show and Petty held the sellout crowd in the palm of his hand. Even something as simple as his, “Thank you so much!” after every song got a huge reaction from the crowd.

Over the years, from high school to TCU to life after college, marriage, kids and up until last Monday night, Tom Petty was always there. Like an old friend. He’ll be there Saturday at Amon G. Carter at the start of the fourth quarter when they play I Won’t Back Down. Stand and cheer.

It sounds cliché to say that Tom Petty sound-tracked my life, but when you look back at all his hits and there’s nothing more true that I could write. He sound-tracked your life, too. What are you favorites? Here are my top 15:

Don’t Do Me Like That
Refugee
American Girl
You Got Lucky, Baby
I Won’t Back Down
Learning to Fly
Runnin’ Down a Dream
Into the Great Wide Open
Even The Losers
Runaway Train
Yer So Bad
The Waiting
Here Comes My Girl
Listen To Her Heart
Free Fallin’

We’ll talk West Virginia on Friday.

Until then, listen to some Petty.

Kick ‘Em High