Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Abstract.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (alternately styled Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)[1][2] is an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976,[3] the band originally comprised Tom Petty (lead singer, guitar), Mike Campbell (lead guitarist), Ron Blair (bass guitar), Stan Lynch (drums), and Benmont Tench (keyboards). The band largely maintained this lineup, with a few exceptions. In 1981, Blair, tired of the touring lifestyle, left the band. His replacement, Howie Epstein, stayed with the band for the next two decades. In 1991, Scott Thurston joined the band as a multi-instrumentalist—mostly on rhythm guitar and second keyboards. Blair returned to the Heartbreakers in 2002, the year before Epstein's death. In 1994, Steve Ferrone replaced Lynch on drums. The band is best known for the hit singles "American Girl", "Breakdown", "The Waiting", "Learning to Fly", "Refugee" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance".