In his autobiography, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Campbell admits he’s quiet and shy. Self-doubt plagued him his entire life, and when problems arose in the Heartbreakers, a lack of confidence had him blaming himself first, even when he wasn’t responsible. Perhaps his attitude was psychologically rooted in his impoverished childhood and coming from a broken home.
Campbell worked hard to learn guitar: “I was not some prodigy,” he says. “None of it came easily. It was just all I did. It was all I wanted to do anyway.”
Topics include the hardscrabble days including pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch, the extreme highs and lows of the Heartbreakers (including Petty’s control-freak personality and shocking death), working with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and his current band, Dirty Knobs.
Creating music is covered in straightforward, yet captivating detail, and guitar stories are plentiful, including how he acquired his 1950 Broadcaster, an early goldtop reissue, and the Rick 625/12 Petty holds (and played) on Damn the Torpedoes.
This book is an exceptional memoir from a guitarist everybody has heard but few really know. – BA
This article originally appeared in VG’s April 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
