Rock musician Tom Petty is being remembered as one of the great American songwriters. He died Monday at age 66 after suffering cardiac arrest at his California home.
Fans in Dallas are reacting to his passing, including one well-known Petty admirer.
Mike Rhyner is a sports talk personality on 1310 "The Ticket." He's also a longtime fan of Petty's music — so much so, he's played in a Tom Petty cover band called Petty Theft for years.
"It was a very chaotic day," Rhyner said, of Petty's passing.
Petty and his band, The Heartbreakers, released their debut album in 1977. Rhyner said he was hooked.
"His songs were so great, so identifiable," he said. "They stuck with you."
Rhyner said something about the music has always connected with him, and he's having a hard time with the loss.
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"Today it's hit me a little harder than yesterday," Rhyner said. "We now live in a world without Tom Petty."
Petty Theft next performs on Friday night at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton in a gig that's now taken on added meaning.
