Several outlets are reporting that Tom Petty has been rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition after being found unconscious in his Malibu, California home.
A story from the New York Daily News reports that “the ‘Free Fallin’ singer, 66, was reportedly found unconscious and not breathing in his Malibu home, and was subsequently taken to the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital, where he “had no brain activity.””
His condition has not been officially released, but TMZ is reporting that he has been critical since Sunday night, and has been pulled off of life support.
Petty, who rose to fame as the lead singer and songwriter of The Heartbreakers, has released 13 albums with that band, as well as three solo albums and two as a member of the Traveling Wilbury’s supergroup in the late 1980s. Throughout his career, he has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He also captured three Grammy wins, with 18 nominations over his long career.
The Heartbreakers, with Petty at the front, recently completed a long tour with three dates at Los Angeles, CA’s Hollywood Bowl. From April 20 through September 25, he and his band played 53 shows. Some August performances were postponed due to an unidentified illness that Petty was suffering, but he and his band did later perform those dates. It is unclear whether or not his current ailment is related to those concert postponents.
We will update this story with additional information as it becomes available.