Tom Leadon and Mike Campbell (Photo: Mike Campbell on Twitter)
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Tom Leadon, one of the founding members of the band Mudcrutch alongside Tom Petty and brother of Eagles’ Bernie Leadon, has passed away at the age of 70.
Leadon’s brother, Mark, confirmed the news with a Facebook post recently:
It is with great sadness, but profound love and gratitude for his life, that the family of Tom Leadon (Thomas Joseph Leadon) of Nashville, Tennessee and Gainesville, Florida, announce his passing on March 22, 2023 peacefully of natural causes. He was 70.
Mike Campbell, guitarist of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The Dirty Knobs and Mudcrutch co-founder, shared a remembrance of Leadon on his social media channels:
Tom Leadon was my deepest guitar soul brother, we spent countless hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other things.
A kinder soul never walked the earth.
I will always miss his spirit and generosity.
Sleep peacefully my old friend.
Tom Leadon was my deepest guitar soul brother, we spent countless hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other things.
A kinder soul never walked the earth.
I will always miss his spirit and generosity.
Sleep peacefully my old friend.Mike pic.twitter.com/UfF86HaULp
— Mike Campbell // The Dirty Knobs (@MikeCampbellHQ) March 27, 2023
The Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ social media pages posted Campbell’s message alongside more photos in tribute to Leadon, with additional messages from Adria and Dana Petty:
We are devastated to hear of the passing of Tom Leadon. He was a dear friend of Tom and the fellas in the band and our entire family. He was part of the brotherhood.
He was an excellent and accomplished musician and was the reason Tom reformed Mudcrutch, so that the band could enjoy more time and more music together. Tom loved him deeply.
– Adria Petty
I am deeply saddened and surprised by this. Tom spent a lot of time staying in our home. He was very sweet with the best memory we’d ever witnessed. He was a unique man. I’m so shocked that he’s gone.
– Dana Petty
Photos by Dana Petty, Brantley Gutierrez and Martyn Atkins
In addition to his work with Mudcrutch, Leadon was widely known for playing bass in Linda Ronstadt’s band and the country/rock band Silver, which scored a Top 40 hit with 1976’s “Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang”:
May Leadon rest in peace.
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