Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers play Amalie Arena in Tampa on May 6, 2017. Credit: Photo by Chris Rodriguez
Florida’s favorite rock and roll son never got quite as much mainstream attention as some of his other fellow radio contemporaries, but that never bothered Tom Petty at all. WMNF 88.5 FM in Tampa—which often hosts birthday parties for classic rock legends turning a multiple of 5—plays plenty of his album tracks during certain broadcasts, and he’s currently the only artist who gets a planned birthday concert every year (though now that Jimmy Buffett has passed, that might change).

This year’s installment of the show celebrating the youngest Traveling Wilbury’s early birthday—which is actually on October 20—does not have a locally-built lineup yet, but don’t be shocked if Have Gun, Will Travel takes over the Skipperdome. It played Petty’s virtual, 70th birthday show in 2020, organized by his family, so it’d almost be sinful for the Burkes not to show up.

Tickets to see WMNF’s 4th Annual Tom Petty Birthday Tribute at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa on Saturday, Oct. 14 are still available and cost $20.

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This article appears in Oct 5-11, 2023.

Josh Bradley is Creative Loafing Tampa's resident live music freak. He started freelancing with the paper in 2020 at the age of 18, and has since covered, announced, and previewed numerous live shows in...