NASHVILLE |FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/AMANDA CAGAN
PETTY’S “ANGEL DREAM”: TOM PETTY surprised a crowd of 4,000 when he debuted a new song, “Angel Dream,” at UCLA last Friday night (April 26) following his acceptance speech for receiving the university’s “George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement.” PETTY’s decision to perform a new song was spontaneous, made only a few moments before going onstage (his request for an electric guitar and amplifier was filled by a student who brought the equipment from his nearby dorm room). “Angel Dream” is one of the six new PETTY songs that will be used in an upcoming film this summer, the Edward Burns-directed “She’s The One,” for which PETTY has also written the original score (marking a career first for him). “I’ve been listening to music since I was 11 years old and I’ve been to hell ever since,” PETTY jokingly told the students and alumni at the Southern California campus. He went on to talk about the magic and the healing power of music, thanking the UCLA Student Alumni Association for honoring him with the award, whose past recipients include Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. “I may not own any George and Ira Gershwin records,” saidPETTY, “but I’m honored to be here and I want to thank my fans for showing up at my concerts from time to time.” Next, stay tuned for more news about PETTY’s new songs and the nextTOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS album coming this summer on Warner Bros. Records.
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