Watch Tom Petty’s Final Live Performance A Week Before His Death

It’s been three years already but we still can’t grasp the loss of Tom Petty. The man was a true classic rocker who didn’t comply with norms and did what his heart told him – to make great music. He even made his final bow to fans in spectacular fashion during his last show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles – only to find out that it’d be the last time the world would see him alive.

It’s bittersweet how Petty’s ultimate sendoff would be done with such intimacy and conviction, which only went to show his love for performing didn’t fade as the years went on. Reminiscent of his debut with the Heartbreakers and also a moment where fans knew it would all be ending soon, Petty didn’t fail to give his best on the stage and dished it all out as if it was his last.

Before embarking on the tour to commemorate the four decades of working with the Heartbreakers, Petty said that the committee would be the last he’d be doing. Entertaining thoughts of retirement, he said that he has a granddaughter to take care of and couldn’t bear the thought of being away from the kid for a long time.

It was fitting that Petty’s final show would be on the Hollywood Bowl, the third of sold-out dates in the 17,500-capacity venue. His final song was “American Girl”, which he delivered with the same intensity but now with the tone of wisdom in his midst. The track was intended as a closer on his debut with the Heartbreakers and continued to become a fan favorite even if it didn’t exactly perform that well in the charts at the time.

Watch Petty deliver the final public performance of his life on the video below.

https://youtu.be/NCtd1gaYYPw