Richard Petty is NOT Tom Petty's father.
59 years old!
In the book, Conversations with Tom Petty, Tom says that he really liked "I Won't Back Down" but when it turned into a big anthem thing, that kind of soured him on it. This is obviously not a quote...
His real name is Thomas Earl Petty.
The singer Tom Petty (born October 20, 1950) does not appear to be related to the actress Lori Lee Petty (born October 14, 1963).