Tom Leadon is dead. According to media reports, the musician, who became known alongside Tom Petty (1950-2017), died on March 22, 2023. The guitarist was 70 years old. A cause of death is not yet known. Mike Campbell (73), who founded the band Mudcrutch with Leadon and Petty, confirmed the death of his fellow musician via Instagram.
“Tom Leadon was my closest guitar soulmate,” wrote Mike Campbell. “We spent countless hours playing acoustic guitar and teaching each other things.” A more lovable person has never walked the earth, Campbell continues. “I will always miss him and his generosity. Sleep peacefully my old friend”.
Tom Leadon was born on September 16, 1952 in Rosemount, Minnesota. His older brother Bernie Leadon (75) is a co-founder of the successful band Eagles.
Together with Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, among others, Tom Leadon built the band Mudcrutch in Florida in 1970. After just a year, Leadon left the group to move to Los Angeles with his brother. Mudcrutch collapsed in 1975, resulting in the much better-known Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Tom Leadon was less successful without Tom Petty, although he had a minor hit with the band Silver and the song “Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang” in 1976.
In 2007, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell recruited their old colleague for a Mudcrutch comeback after more than 30 years. The album “Mudcrutch”, on which the band partly re-recorded old songs, landed in the top 10 of the US Billboard charts in 2008.
Mudcrutch’s second album followed in 2016. A year later, Tom Petty died unexpectedly after suffering a cardiac arrest.
