New Delhi:
One piece of breaking news put the entire gamut of stars, celebrities, and fans of rocker Tom Petty in a daze: "Tom Petty dies following cardiac arrest!"
It kicked off widespread reactions with star singers like John Mayer, Shania Twain, and Jon Bon Jovi paying tribute to Petty on Twitter.
Rolling Stone even got a statement from the Nobel laureate Bob Dylan: “I thought the world of Tom. He was great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.â€
But it soon emerged that the news was not true.
Tom Petty, born Thomas Earl Petty on October 20, 1950, is indeed having health issues but his daughter, Annakim Violette Petty angrily dismissed the news of his death and lashed out at Rolling Stone.
"How dare you report that my father has died just to get press because your articles and photos are so dated?" wrote Annakim in a rather cuss full Instagram post along with an image of her dad on a 1979 cover of the magazine at the firing end of her salvo.
TMZ first broke the story with news that Petty had been found unconscious at his Malibu home on Sunday night and later reported that he had been taken off life support. CBS television too quoted an unnamed police source to second the TMZ breaking.
But the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) clarified via tweets that it was in no way a source for the news.Â
(1/2)The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertantly provided to some media sources
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017
(2/2) However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017
The lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2002, Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(With Agency inputs)
