ELI YOUNG BAND RELEASES NEW VERSION OF TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS’ HIT SONG “LEARNING TO FLY” 

“Tom Petty’s influence on Eli Young Band runs deep, as he has always been, in one way or another, a road map for us,” says Eli Young Band frontman Mike Eli. “‘Learning To Fly’ has long been a fixture in our show as well as many of his other songs.  We are so pumped to be part of such an incredible salute to one of the masters!”

“Learning To Fly”—the first track released from the American rock band’s 1991 album, Into the Great Wide Open, and a favorite at Petty’s live shows—was the most successful single on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year, earning a top spot and remaining at the summit for six weeks.

The song arrives ahead of Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, the country tribute album lovingly curated by some of Petty’s closest friends and collaborators. The record is set for release on June 21 via Big Machine Records in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate.

Big Machine Records and the estate have unveiled several tracks from the album thus far; most recently, Wynonna Judd’s take on the classic “Refugee” featuring Lainey Wilson, Steve Earle’s rendition of “Yer So Bad,” Chris Stapleton’s take on Tom Petty’s “I Should Have Known It,” which debuted as the #1 most added track at Triple A, following “Southern Accents,” reimagined by Petty’s friend and fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Dolly Parton. Additionally, Dierks Bentley’s version of the Petty classic, “American Girl,” is featured on the album, premiering earlier this year as Bentley’s highest charting single upon launch and is currently climbing through the Top 35 on Country radio. Watch Bentley perform “American Girl” on Good Morning America HERE.

Executive produced by Petty’s close confidant, 2x Grammy award-winner George Drakoulias (Barbie, The Black Crowes, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), with 2x Grammy award-winner Randall Poster (Killers of the Flower Moon, Skyfall, Wes Anderson) and Scott Borchetta (Big Machine), Petty Country finds some of the most lauded voices in country music exploring the extensive Petty catalog and putting their own personal touches on some of his greatest hits. Highlights include a handful of songs by Petty’s longtime friends and collaborators, such as George Strait, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson with Lukas Nelson, bluegrass pioneer Marty Stuart and The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. Contemporary country superstars Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Wynonna Judd, Carly Pearce, Lady A, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens—who most recently played banjo and viola on Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em”—Thomas Rhett and Lainey Wilson pay tribute to the late musician with their own spin on fan favorites. See below for a complete track list for Petty Country.

Tom Petty, albeit widely known for his rocker grit and California anthems, is often credited as contemporary country music’s biggest rock influence. A Gainesville, Florida native, Petty straddled the American coasts, leaving his native Florida for his adopted home of Los Angeles, while keeping one foot firmly rooted in the south. The region’s influence can be heard throughout Petty’s discography, with lyrics about growing up in the south paired with his famous airtight melodies and rough vocal character that defines the state of country music today.

Petty’s deep roots in country music saw collaborations and long-lasting friendships with a number of the genre’s greatest artists, including Carl Perkins (Petty inducted Perkins into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), Johnny Cash (The Heartbreakers were the backing band on Cash’s Unchained), June Carter Cash, Marty Stuart, John Prine, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, George Strait, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson. Today, country songwriters consistently reference their love and admiration for Petty, and in many ways, how Petty’s influence shaped their own sound.

Over his 40-year career, Tom Petty became one of the biggest cultural icons in the world. In addition to the 13 studio albums he made with the Heartbreakers, Petty recorded 3 solo albums, including the acclaimed Full Moon Fever andWildflowers. Petty was also a member of the supergroup, Traveling Wilburys, and in the pre-Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch. Hailed as one of the greatest rock artists of all time, Petty’s list of achievements include: multiple Grammy Award winner, 80+ million records sold, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Tom Petty passed away in 2017 shortly after completing his 40th anniversary tour, but his music continues to reach fans, both new and old, around the world today.

1. “I Should Have Known It” by Chris Stapleton
2. “Wildflowers” by Thomas Rhett
3. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Luke Combs
4. “Southern Accents” by Dolly Parton
5. “Here Comes My Girl” by Justin Moore
6. “American Girl” by Dierks Bentley
7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Lady A
8. “I Forgive It All” by Jamey Johnson
9. “I Won’t Back Down” by Brothers Osborne
10. “Refugee” by Wynonna Judd & Lainey Wilson
11. “Angel Dream No. 2” by Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson
12. “Learning To Fly” by Eli Young Band
13. “Breakdown” by Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce
14. “Yer So Bad” by Steve Earle
15. “Ways To Be Wicked” by Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell
16. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Midland
17. “Free Fallin’” by The Cadillac Three feat. Breland
18. “I Need To Know” by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
19. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by
Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkroad Ensemble and Benmont Tench
20. “You Wreck Me (Live)” by George Strait

 

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