The Loss of Tom Petty
When news broke on October 2, 2017 that Tom Petty had died, it felt unreal. It was only a year after the world had lost Prince, and many were still grieving. Petty’s passing left a heavy mark—he had been a constant figure in countless lives. Eight years later, Petty’s absence is still felt across the music world. Many artists have expressed how much his life and songs meant to them. Among the most deeply moved has been Stevie Nicks. As both a fan and a collaborator, she found her own way to honor him in concert.
A Song for a Friend
During a recent show, Nicks performed an emotional version of “Free Fallin’.” Her raspy voice gave the song new weight, while images of Petty flashed behind her—moments of their friendship and his time with the Heartbreakers. Fans described how powerful it felt.
“He was up there singing right along with her,” one fan said. Another added, “She brought us all to tears—the whole concert was so good.”
In the same show, Nicks also remembered her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie. As she sang “Landslide,” a collage of photos appeared behind her, turning the performance into a heartfelt farewell.
Building a Bond With Petty
Nicks’ connection to Petty went back decades. When she began recording her first solo album Bella Donna, she insisted on working with him. Petty admitted he was unsure about the idea at first.
“She was this absolutely stoned-gone, huge fan,” Petty once told Paul Zollo, author of Conversations With Tom Petty. “And it was her mission in life that I should write her a song. And we were a little wary of Stevie. We didn’t quite know whether to like Stevie or not, because we kind of saw this big corporate rock band, Fleetwood Mac, which was wrong—they were actually artistic people. But in those days, nobody trusted that sort of thing and we just kept thinking, ‘What does she want from us?’”
Despite the hesitation, they ended up recording “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” together and developed a friendship that lasted.
Friendship and Hard Advice
After leaving rehab in 1994, Nicks leaned on Petty for support. She asked him to help her write a song, but he reminded her of her own strength.
“He said, ‘Just go to your piano and write a good song. You can do that,’” Nicks told Rolling Stone. She later wrote “Hard Advice,” explaining, “Sometimes he’s my best friend. It was really ‘Sometimes Tom’s my best friend.’ I changed it because I knew Tom would not want me to say his name. That’s how well I know him.”
When Petty died, Nicks shared just how deep the loss was. “I lost one of the last people I could truly talk to… who understood who I was, and what I stood for,” she wrote. “One of the only people who truly had my heart and cherished it. A knight in shining armor. My world is just darker since he’s been gone.”
