For being my 'Beatles on Ed Sullivan' moment (SNL, March 1980 - "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Refugee"). I'm a middle-aged man still obsessed with and playing rock and roll because of you and the Heartbreakers.
For writing the greatest opening line in the history of song ('Honey don't walk out I'm too drunk to follow').
For Echo.
For doing it all with integrity.
For the middle eights in "The Waiting," "Southern Accents," "Refugee," and "Don't Do Me Like That" (NO ONE wrote middle eights like Tom Petty).
For always bringing along killer opening acts - 'Til Tuesday, Del Fuegos, Georgia Satellites, Replacements, Lenny Kravitz, Chris Whitley, Jayhawks, Lucinda, Jackson Browne, Allmans, Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Peter Wolf.
For turning me on to Bob Dylan, the Byrds, J.J. Cale, the Zombies, Johnny Cash, Marty Stuart, Chuck Berry, the Animals, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, and so much more great music through your covers, collaborations and radio show.
For continuing to write so many beautiful songs so late in the game ("Square One," "Running Man's Bible," "Full Grown Boy," "All You Can Carry," "Hungry No More.").
For getting Mudcrutch back together and bringing the band to Philly in 2016.
For non-LP B-sides that were better than most people's A-sides ("Girl on LSD," "Don't Treat Me Like a Stranger," "Trailer").
For the Beacon shows.
For looking up at me when I called your name as you were lighting a smoke and walking to the bus in back of the Wells Fargo Center in July 2010 (the benefits of leaving during "American Girl" to beat the traffic).
For sharing Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, Mike Campbell, Ron Blair, Howie Epstein, Scott Thurston and Steve Ferrone with the world. An untouchable band.
For EVERYTHING. R.I.P., T.P.