Country Stars Bring Southern Accents to Tom Petty Tribute: ‘The Big Thing Was Credibility’

When Marty Stuart was approached about taking part in a Tom Petty tribute album, his first thought was “that’s a dangerous mission,” he recalls with a laugh. “Those songs were done right the first time.”

But his love for his late friend, who died in 2017, outweighed his trepidation. Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives join Willie Nelson, George Strait, Thomas Rhett, Brothers Osborne, Luke Combs and Jamey Johnson, among others, on the outstanding Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, out Friday (June 21) through Big Machine Records and the Tom Petty estate.

The album comes with the blessing and involvement from some of those closest to Petty: his daughter Adria and producer George Drakoulias, who began working with Petty on 1994’s Wildflowers album, as well as Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, who play on two of the tracks. Drakoulias, Randall Poster and Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta serve as the set’s executive producers. 

When casting the album, the trio worked in tandem. “We had a lot of Zoom calls and we had a lot of fun,” Drakoulias says. “Between the three of us and Adria, the big thing was credibility, authenticity. We tried to make it up-and-comers, legends, stalwarts and people a little bit on the outside.” 

Noted music supervisor Poster, who has won two Grammys for his work, adds they approached the project like a movie. “We [asked], ‘What are the variety of sounds and voices that render this story of this American storyteller?” Vital was making sure the project was a “proper testament to the Petty legacy,” he says. 

Having the seal of approval of those close to Petty was “incredibly important,” Borchetta says, and helped lift the quality of the tribute. “That’s where Adria was critical. She’s a great protector of her father’s work, and having the Heartbreakers as part of the record is the icing on the cake. For Tom Petty fans, it’s going to feel like, ‘These guys signed off,’ and you can’t get a bigger endorsement than that.”

Borchetta learned some lessons from working on previous tribute albums, including one for Motley Crüe in 2014. “Get the big artists to agree first and the dominoes fall in place,” he says — adding that Chris Stapleton, a huge Petty fan, was one of the first to say “yes.” 

He also told artists to create their cover song “in your own image,” using the producer of their choice: “I want them to be equally involved in the decision-making and the creative. Every track is its own adventure.” Otherwise, Borchetta says, “I don’t think we would have gotten all the “yes”es. We said, ‘We’d love for you to participate. There are no guardrails.’” 

That freedom led to artists putting their own spin on the songs, some of which wowed Drakoulias. “Tom’s vocal is great on ‘I Should Have Known It,’ but Stapleton’s version is so loud and crazy. I mean, it’s like this giant engine gets turned on. Everyone putting their fiddles and banjos on [songs], it was really endearing. I think everything feels really honest on the record.”

In addition to Stapleton’s grizzled “I Should Have Known It,” among the other highlights are Dolly Parton’s delicate “Southern Accents,” Margo Price’s spicy “Ways to be Wicked” (featuring Mike Campbell), Lainey Wilson and Wynonna’s powerful “Refugee,” and the set’s first single, Dierks Bentley’s bluegrass-inflected “American Girl.”

Bentley’s version stands at No. 34 with a bullet on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated June 22. As for future radio singles, Borchetta says, “We don’t ever get a phone call from a radio station saying, ‘Hey, do you have any covers?’ We’ve got to handle it very carefully. There are serious conversations about what will be next. But we want to really do one at a time as far as radio, but with the DSPs, we’re cranking them out.”

Red Light Management, which has handled Petty’s estate for almost five years and has overseen several initiatives, including the deluxe box sets for Wildflowers and Live from the Fillmore 1997, came up with the concept and approached Big Machine. 

Borchetta gave an immediate yes, “being such a big fan and knowing the catalog so well,” he says. “We had some great early conversations with Adria, and we were thrilled and honored to be able to represent this amazing body of work.”

Petty was seen, above all, as an incisive, often pointed songwriter and given Nashville’s reverence for songwriters, the executive producers felt a country tribute was the way to go. “The last poets live there,” Drakoulias says. “They take craft very seriously. They respect songs. They respect songwriters. There was an element of that.”

“He’s like Hank Williams,” Stuart says of Petty’s songwriting ability. “He could get you in four lines. You never know it when he gets your heart. I love his lyrics. After he passed away, I saw that whole stadium down in Gainesville singing ‘I Won’t Back Down,’ and I thought, that’s the stepping-off place to his legacy. People are going to keep singing his songs. And this record is just further proof of that.” 

Plus, Petty had a life-long affinity for country music. In an interview from when he and the Heartbreakers first played the Grand Ole Opry in 1983, he said, “Country music was probably the first music I ever heard … My parents played it, and they actually listened to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, and my grandmother talked to me about it for years. I’m a huge fan of country music, to be honest.” The Heartbreakers were the backing band on Johnny Cash’s 1996 Unchained album, and Petty inducted Carl Perkins into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

The tribute album will hopefully introduce Petty’s music to a younger generation and a different audience. “We were seeking to connect how influenced Tom was by country music — and, in turn, how much influence and love he has had from country artists,” says Red Light Management president Will Botwin. “We feel the 20 great performances of his songs by a wonderful variety of country music artists on the Petty Country album accomplishes this in a very authentic and powerful way. His songs are a natural fit with country music artists & fans.”

Drakoulias agrees: “It’s a good way to remind country audiences what a great songwriter [he was]. There will definitely be a new awakening and a new sense of discovery [among those fans].”

While there are no plans yet for a single concert celebrating the album’s release, a number of the participating artists have been making appearances promoting the set. Bentley performed “American Girl” on Good Morning America, Wilson and Wynonna played “Refugee” on the Grand Ole Opry and CBS This Morning will air a piece on June 25.

Additionally, Thursday night (June 20) the Country Music Hall of Fame will host a release party, featuring Adria Petty, Borchetta and Drakoulius, as well as an early look at the Petty addition to the Hall’s Western Edge Exhibit. 

PETTY COUNTRY TRACKLIST

1. “I Should Have Known It” by Chris Stapleton
2. “Wildflowers” by Thomas Rhett
3. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Luke Combs 
4. “Southern Accents” by Dolly Parton
5. “Here Comes My Girl” by Justin Moore
6. “American Girl” by Dierks Bentley
7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Lady A
8. “I Forgive It All” by Jamey Johnson
9. “I Won’t Back Down” by Brothers Osborne
10. “Refugee” by Wynonna Judd & Lainey Wilson
11. “Angel Dream No. 2” by Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson
12. “Learning To Fly” by Eli Young Band
13. “Breakdown” by Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce
14. “Yer So Bad” by Steve Earle
15. “Ways To Be Wicked” by Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell
16. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Midland
17. “Free Fallin’” by The Cadillac Three feat. Breland
18. “I Need To Know” by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
19. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkroad Ensemble and Benmont Tench
20. “You Wreck Me (Live)” by George Strait