Florida was another state that had plenty of options when it comes to great musicians, but we've decided to go with Tom Petty. A career in rock and roll music is all that Petty ever wanted, and through both his solo work and his recordings with his band 'The Heartbreakers,' he lived his dream. It was a risky gamble which paid off - Petty dropped out of school very early so he could focus on music instead.
In total, Petty sold more than eighty million albums over the course of a forty-year career; one which saw him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He cited an early meeting with Elvis Presley as his inspiration for pursuing a career in music, although British bands the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were also heavy influences. He passed away in 2017 after an accidental overdose on prescription medication, shortly after completing a 40th anniversary tour with the Heartbreakers.