You know his music, but do you know his name? Mike Campbell was a founding member, lead guitarist, co-songwriter and co-producer of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers for over 40 years and co-wrote some of the band’s biggest and most loved hits including “Refugee”, “Here Comes My Girl”, “You Got Lucky”, and “Runnin’ Down a Dream”. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Campbell’s association with Petty began in Gainesville in 1970 when he joined Petty’s band Mudcrutch a couple of days after seeing them perform one afternoon at the University of Florida’s Plaza of the Americas.
Mike Campbell is also a successful session player, songwriter, and producer outside of his work with the Heartbreakers, beginning in earnest in 1984 when he co-wrote and performed on the top five hit “The Boys of Summer” with Don Henley (a song Tom Petty turned down) and continued with Henley’s “The Heart of the Matter” in 1989.
Campbell has recorded with a slew of artists over his career including three albums with Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon, and Neil Diamond, four albums with Johnny Cash, and, of course, he appeared on all three of Tom Petty’s solo albums.
In 1981, Petty and Campbell wrote “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” which became the first single released from Stevie Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna. Mike has appeared on eight of Nicks’ solo albums and in 2018 and 2019, he toured the world as the lead guitarist in Fleetwood Mac.
He is currently the lead singer and guitarist of Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs whose third album is the critically acclaimed Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits featuring guest appearances by former Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Steve Ferrone, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stapelton, and Graham Nash.
Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
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Courtesy
Their summer tour brings them to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Wednesday, August 13 and the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville on Thursday, August 14.
Known for being soft-spoken and reserved, Mike began opening up on his SiriusXM radio show, “The Breakdown” with Mike Campbell,” heard on the SiriusXM app or on Tom Petty Radio.
In March, Campbell shared his life story in the New York Times bestseller, Heartbreaker: A Memoir (Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio) co-written with Ari Surdoval (author of the acclaimed novel Double Nickels).
The book takes us on his incredible and improbable journey from Jacksonville to Gainesville to Los Angeles and around the world featuring insights about his inspirations, memories about the music, life lessons learned along the way, and stories about the incredible cast of characters Mike has crossed paths with from his bandmates in Mudcrutch and the Heartbreakers to some of the biggest names in music history: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, Jeff Lynne, Joe Strummer, Gene Simmons, The Who, Debbie Harry, and even Johnny Rotten!
But, it’s not your typical sex and drugs rock star tell-all. WUFT’s Morning Edition host, Glenn Richards, recently spoke with Mike Campbell about that, how the book came together and his feelings about returning to Florida to play his first show as a solo artist in his hometown of Jacksonville.
More info:
All things Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs: https://mikecampbell.komi.io
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