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Tom Petty, Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell had previously played together in the band Mudcrutch, who released one single Depot Street in 1975, before they morphed into the Heartbreakers. Most of their early success came in the UK with the single Anything That's Rock'n'Roll, but they broke into the US Top 40 in 1976 with the singles Breakdown and American Girl, developing a style that was often compared to the folk-rock of the Byrds. Their momentum increased with second and third albums You're Gonna Get It (1978) and Damn The Torpedoes (1979). Despite record company disputes and personnel changes they became one of America's most respected live bands while releasing best-selling albums Long After Dark (1982), Southern Accents (1985) and Let Me Up I've Had Enough (1987) along with occasional hit singles Don't Do Me Like That and Don't Come Around Here Any More. In 1988 Petty formed the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne and the Heartbreakers were put on ice, but reformed in 1991 with Jeff Lynne producing the album Into The Great Wide Open; including the hit single Learning To Fly. Petty also made several solo records, but always returned to the Heartbreakers, who continued their success story with the albums Echo (1999), The Last DJ (2002) and Mojo (2010).Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
