Tom Petty Said Parts of Being Famous Made Him Physically Sick: ‘I Feel Ridiculous’
Tom Petty became famous in his 20s, but he maintained a low profile for most of his life. While his music was successful, he tried to stay out of the public eye. He thought that this was the ideal dynamic for him. While he wanted his songs to be enjoyed on a mass scale, he didn’t want everything that came with celebrity. He said that many of the lifestyle changes that came with fame made his skin crawl.
Tom Petty said he was embarrassed to admit he was friends with famous people
When Petty was still a relatively young artist, he befriended some of the biggest names in music. In The Traveling Wilburys, he worked with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. He valued their friendships, but he said that it was a bit embarrassing to talk about their relationship with others.
“I got to know them past what we’ve done. I got to know them really well as people and became really good friends with them,” he explained in 1999, per The Petty Archives. “So it’s embarrassing. I never mention my friends to people because they think I’m bragging. But it is kind of cool.”
Tom Petty said parts of being famous made him ill
After rising to success in the 1970s, Petty remained a celebrated artist for the rest of his life. It’s rare to find someone who isn’t familiar with at least one of his songs. Still, he was never one of the biggest celebrities in the world.
“I guess looking back it has been a blessing,” he told BAM in 1997, per The Petty Archives. “It’s never been in my nature to want to be like a personality or a big celebrity. It’s fine if you do; I have nothing against it. It’s just not in my nature. I would be put off by that.”
He said that he actively avoided events that would make him more famous.
“I don’t attend premieres — I actually shy away from things that are gonna put you in that limelight,” he said. “Even going on the David Letterman show is really stressful for me [laughs]: I have to go over to the couch and sit down and I have no guitar.”
He said that some things, like photo shoots, made him so uncomfortable that he actually became sick.
“We don’t do photo shoots at all,” he said. “I just don’t do them. I don’t want to do them. It’s fine when you’re a boy, but now I feel ridiculous sitting in front of a backdrop and getting all painted up. So, if they wanna get a picture of me, get me at work or get me on the go, but I’m not gonna do that. The last one I did made me sick; I think I actually got the flu [laughs].”
He believed that nothing was worse than a musician who took themselves too seriously
Petty avoided coming off as too serious as well. He didn’t want his music to sound pretentious.
“There’s nothing worse than a serious pop singer,” he told the Vancouver Sun in 1991, adding, “You can still say things while you’re lightening up. But I think we’re all weary of people who come on for an entire LP … and give you the impression that this person is trying to tell you real serious things that they couldn’t possibly have an impact on. A lot of lyrics that I hear on the radio these days sound pompous. I’m not against people being serious with their work, I just think they have to be careful that it doesn’t come off as pretentious.”
