After an up and down day, with initial reports being that rocker Tom Petty had died, after being found nonresponsive in his Malibu home on Sunday night, then a retraction following soon after, stating that he was, in fact, still clinging to life, the inevitable has come to be.

The sad announcement was made, as reported in the Los Angeles Times:

“On behalf of the Tom Petty family,” said Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty. He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Centerbut could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8:40 p.m. PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.”

Petty had just completed an extensive tour to mark the Heartbreakers’ 40^th anniversary. It concluded Sept. 25 with a three-night homecoming stand that sold out at the Hollywood Bowl.

Petty and his band, the Heartbreakers, had a long string of hits, spanning back to the late 70s.

They were, in fact, one of the first bands I remember really getting excited about.

One of my favorite tunes from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was “She’s a Woman in Love,” but honestly, the first song that comes to mind when I hear “Tom Petty” is the hard rocking 1979 classic, “Refugee.”

Rest in peace, Sir. Rest in peace.