In the spirit of the season, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of The Heartbreakers have posted notes on the band's website thanking their fans for all their support following Tom Petty's death on October 2nd.
Campbell writes:
"Your condolences have been a lifesaver for me. This has been so surprising and devastating for me and the band, as I know it has been for you. It will take a long time before I get over this. I will carry on for myself and all of you who love the music. I feel your love and am forever grateful for your support all these years. Remember, without you, all of our devoted fans, there would have been no Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Tom will always be here on my right shoulder urging me on to keep the dream alive and inspiring me with his spirit. He is a one of a kind and I will be eternally grateful for the years we rode together and the songs we wrote together. Bless you all from the bottom of my heart."
And Benmont says:
"I’m sure I don’t need, nor do I really know how, to tell you how awful these past weeks have been. I know you all feel it too.
"What I do want to tell you is how much I appreciate your kindness & support. I’ve had the opportunity to hear from & speak with many of you, both in person in Los Angeles & New York, and through social media. You have been a great source of comfort.
"This band, and the extended family Tom gathered around him, is a strong & loving group of people, and we’re all very tight, and all leaning on each other. Love will certainly see us all through this.
"For me, I just want to do what I’ve done since I was 18 or 19 years old: take what I’ve learned over these years, from Tom, about persistence, pursuit of & insistence on artistic excellence, and a certain kind of personal integrity, and continue to apply it going forward, in whatever 'forward' might be. Maybe each of us, of you, can do the same.
"And, of course, never forget to turn up to 10 and let that sucker blast."