THE BEAST

Tom Petty died Monday of a cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, his longtime manager has confirmed to People. He was 66.

The manager released a statement, saying: "On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty. He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8:40 p.m. PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends."

According to TMZ, EMTs were able to find a pulse when they found Petty, but the hospital found no brain activity when he arrived. A chaplain came to administer last rites and a decision was made to pull life support with a "do not resuscitate" order from his family.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Tom Petty charted albums in the Top 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in each of his five decades as a recording artist. TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS' most recent release, "Hypnotic Eye", entered the chart at No. 1. The band released its debut album in 1976 and has since sold over eighty million records.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002, their first year of eligibility, and in recent years continued to build on their already legendary success. Their concerts were celebrated by fans and critics alike and their music has influenced numerous young bands and writers around the world.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS completed a summer tour last Monday with three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. The trek marked the band's fortieth anniversary. Via Blabbermouth