Jacksonville's very own, Mike Campbell, was a member, architect and co-captain of the Heartbreakers, a band he co-founded with Tom Petty, whom he met in a Gainesville, Florida, carport in 1972. As the Heartbreakers' lead guitarist, Campbell co-wrote many of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' hits and co-produced many of their albums. He also penned songs for Don Henley ("Boys of Summer"), Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and played on records by Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash.
In 2018, Campbell joined Fleetwood Mac's world tour on lead guitar. In 2020, Campbell released Wreckless Abandon, the first album by The Dirty Knobs, a group that was Campbell's longtime side project but is now his primary musical focus. They released their second LP, External Combustion, in 2022 and toured the USA, including runs opening for both Chris Stapleton and The Who. Their third album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, is out now on BMG, featuring appearances from artists including Graham Nash, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stapleton, and fellow Heartbreaker Benmont Tench.
In addition to Campbell, The Dirty Knobs features fellow Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone on drums, Chris Holt (Don Henley, The Eagles) on guitar, and Lance Morrison (Don Henley) on bass. Mike Campbell recently released Heartbreaker, a fast-paced, tender-hearted rock 'n' roll memoir for the ages and a New York Times bestseller. Part rags-to-riches story and part raucous, seat-of-the-pants adventure, it recounts Campbell's life and times as lead guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
You may also like the following events from The Florida Theatre:
- This Friday, 18th July, 07:30 pm, Classic Albums Live - Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Pronounced Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd' in Jacksonville
- This Saturday, 19th July, 08:00 pm, Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns 2025 in Jacksonville
- This Sunday, 20th July, 07:00 pm, The Yacht Rock Summer Tour featuring Firefall, Pablo Cruise, and Pure Prairie League in Jacksonville
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