Beck has opened up on Tom Petty’s "gut-wrenching" death and revealed he was at the singer’s final show last month.
The ‘Loser’ singer compared the death of the late ‘I Won’t Back Down’ hitmaker – who passed away earlier this month at the age of 66 – to "losing family", and revealed the impact he had on the star’s early career.
Speaking candidly to Billboard magazine, he said: "It was just gut-wrenching. I was at his last show [at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 25]. We did shows with him years ago, but I didn’t get to work with him or spend a lot of time with him.
"He covered a few of my songs when I was starting out, which meant a lot to me. He’s probably the first musician of that stature who reached out like that.
"The [Heartbreakers] really were an LA band, just as much as The Beach Boys. Their music was an idealisation of even the banal parts of LA. This sort of beautiful summer day in the Valley, that kind of feeling. If you grew up here, it’s like losing family."
Tom was laid to rest on Monday (16.10.17), as friends and family gathered at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California to celebrate his life.
Tom’s death – which was a result of cardiac arrest – was announced by his manager in a statement.
He said at the time: "On behalf of the Tom Petty family we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty."
Meanwhile, Beck also opened up on winning his first Grammy Award for best album in 2015 for his 12th record ‘Morning Phase’, and dismissed the idea of being a legend getting belated recognition.
He added: "I don’t think I reached the heights that Steely Dan did in their day, or Tom Petty. I’m still a work in progress. I don’t think I ever had a plateau like those artists, where you just have an undeniable run for 10 years."
Beck had close connection with Tom Petty
