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Guitarist Mike Campbell is set to release his memoir, Heartbreaker, on March 18 through Hachette Book Group. This compelling narrative offers an intimate look into his time with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the iconic american band he helped shape from its early days untill Petty’s untimely passing in 2017.
With a blend of heartfelt honesty and engaging storytelling, Campbell recounts his evolution from a challenging childhood in Florida to his pivotal role in Petty’s initial band, Mudcrutch, and their subsequent rise to fame with the Heartbreakers.
The memoir also highlights his successful collaborations with music legends like Don Henley and Stevie Nicks, alongside his endeavors with his own band, the Dirty Knobs, and touring with Fleetwood Mac. The book is a poignant mix of humor and rich detail, especially remarkable considering Campbell wrote it entirely from memory.
“I attempted to keep a journal in the early days,” Campbell shares. “It started with Mudcrutch and my move to L.A., but it became disheartening. Each day felt like a struggle in the studio without any progress. After twenty pages of that, I decided to abandon it. Everything I wrote is now just in my head – what’s left of it.”
“I believe I brought a musicality that Tom didn’t possess.”
– Mike Campbell
He reflects, “I genuinely believe it’s a good book.It’s not just pride talking; I felt it while recording the audio version, and there were moments that brought me to tears.”
Together, Campbell and Petty crafted timeless tracks like “refugee,” “here comes My Girl,” “You Got Lucky,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” His iconic riffs and solos transformed songs like “American Girl” and “Breakdown” into enduring classics.
As with any successful songwriting duo, Petty and Campbell complemented each other with their unique strengths.
“I think I brought a musicality that Tom wasn’t capable of,” Campbell explains, reminiscing about his Fender broadcaster, the electric guitar that defined tracks like “American Girl.”
“I had guitar techniques and musical influences that I could convey to him in his songs, or present as my own music, which he couldn’t have achieved alone.”
He chuckles, recalling a moment when he presented Petty with a song that felt too much like the Heartbreakers. Petty advised him, “That sounds too much like me. Go create something I can’t do.”
Campbell candidly discusses the band’s internal struggles, refusing to sugarcoat his relationship with Petty. “Sometimes he made me so furious I couldn’t even look at him,” he admits. Yet, his gratitude for the life he led and the connections he forged shines through.
“Who knows what would have happened if Tom and I had never crossed paths?” he muses. ”Writing this book made me realize how many miracles have shaped my life through timing, luck, and perhaps divine intervention. I started with nothing, and these songs came to me from somewhere. There were serendipitous encounters with my idols, and of course, my bond with Tom.”
“We had our share of brotherly disagreements, but a profound love kept us united through all the challenges.”
Campbell recalls how “Don’t Do Me Like That” was nearly left behind before the Heartbreakers formed. It almost didn’t make it onto their third album, but a second engineer reminded them of its potential.
“The title came from a phrase Tom heard from his father. It started there and evolved into a great song,” he explains.
Regarding “American Girl,” Campbell notes that the song truly came alive when he introduced its iconic riff. “I often aimed to create parts that could elevate the song as much as the vocals. It’s what I believed George Harrison would do. These moments feel miraculous. I have a knack for hearing those parts,and with Tom,I think that’s what drew him to me. I could take his basic four chords and enhance them into something greater.”
“The tonality we discovered between the guitar harmonics and the energy of the riffs defined our band’s sound.”
- Mike campbell
Campbell considers “American Girl” to be one of their finest creations.
“There’s a tragic irony to it,” he reflects. “It marked the band’s revelation of its identity, and sadly, it became the last song we played together.”
“Now that you mention it, yes, it holds more significance. But I don’t dwell on it as our final song unless someone brings it up. It’s more of an optimistic burst of joy for me.”
“I cherish that we performed it at the Hollywood Bowl and for decades afterward. Each time we played it, I felt a rush of inspiration. It encapsulated the essence of the Heartbreakers, the synergy we found between the keyboards, guitar harmonics, and the energy of our riffs.”
Reflecting on “The Boys of Summer,” Campbell shares how it emerged from his experimentation with a LinnDrum. “That’s how songs often come to life. I wrote ‘Refugee’ to a drum loop from a record. I didn’t have a drummer at home,so I created loops before drum machines existed. It was just part of the process.”
“One night, I thought, ‘I can play claps and tom-toms. Let’s create a beat and add some chords.’ It was a moment of inspiration. Songs can originate from anywhere.”
“I presented him with something that felt like a Heartbreakers song, and he said, ‘That sounds too much like me. Go create something I can’t do.’”
- Mike Campbell
Campbell doesn’t shy away from discussing the addiction struggles within the band, including his own battles with cocaine that led to a pivotal moment in the hospital.
“Your body will signal when it’s had enough. I thought I could drink like Keith Richards, but my body said, ‘No more.’ So I stopped. It wasn’t difficult; it just didn’t suit me anymore.”
He contrasts his approach to Howie Epstein’s struggles with addiction to his relationship with Petty.”Howie and Tom were different people, and I was at different stages in my life when they faced their issues. I didn’t understand addiction when Howie was struggling. I was angry and thought he was being irresponsible. I didn’t realize he was sick.”
“By the time Tom faced his challenges, I had gained more understanding of addiction. I respected Tom’s privacy and trusted him to make the right choices. I could have confronted him, but he had a way of asserting his independence.”
“We maintained a boundary between our personal lives. After tours, I returned to my world, and he returned to his. We would occasionally catch up, but we respected each other’s space. Tom made his own choices, even regarding the last tour.”
“In our last conversation, I asked if he was sure about going on tour. he insisted, ’I’m not staying home. I want to do this.’ That was the plan, and I have no regrets about it. I did everything I could.”
