Tom Petty’s Family Blasts Trump For Using His Music At Tulsa Rally

Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Tom Petty’s Family Blasts Trump For Using His Music At Tulsa Rally

Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Tom Petty’s family have issued a cease and desist notice to the Trump campaign after the late Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” was played at a rally in Tulsa, OK last night. The family wrote a statement that was posted to Petty’s social media pages that reads in part: “Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.”

Benmont Tench, a co-founder of the Heartbreakers and longtime Petty collaborator, echoed his family’s statement in an Instagram post, writing: “I in no way approve of Trump even whistling any piece of music associated with our band. I hope that’s clear enough.”

Here’s the full statement:

Tom Petty’s song “I Won’t Back Down” was used today at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, OK.

Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.

Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.

Tom wrote this song for the underdog, for the common man and for EVERYONE. We want to make it clear that we believe everyone is free to vote as they like, think as they like, but the Petty family doesn’t stand for this. We believe in America and we believe in democracy. But Donald Trump is not representing the noble ideals of either. We would hate for fans that are marginalized by this administration to think we were complicit in the usage. Concurrently, we have issued an official cease and desist notice to the Trump campaign.

Adria, Annakim, Dana, and Jane Petty

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