Tom Leadon, a well-known singer, and Mudcrutch guitarist passed away on March 22, 2023, at the age of 70. According to his brother Mark Leadon, who shared the news on Facebook, Tom Leadon died of “natural causes.”
Mike Campbell, guitarist, and member of Tom Petty’s band paid tribute to Leadon with a few photos on Instagram. He wrote in the description:
“My deepest guitar soul brother was Tom Leadon; we spent hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other.” A more gentle spirit has never walked the earth’s surface. I’ll never forget his positive attitude or kindness. “Good night, my old pal.”
Musical trio The Bennett Hall Band expressed their grief by referring to him as a wonderful instructor and friend. They stated that they had several opportunities to perform on stage with him, adding:
“He was a fantastic storyteller; he loved criticizing each show and telling us how we could improve, and he was overjoyed to be a part of our journey.” What more could a student ask for from a teacher? We will miss and adore you, Mr. Tom.”
The Long Players, a well-known band, also shared a photo of Leadon and announced that they would be performing in Tom Petty’s album Wildflowers in 2022, with Leadon serving as the “emotional core” of the performance.
Twitter users pay tribute
Aside from music industry accolades, Twitter was flooded with messages from fans and users who learned of Tom Leadon’s death.
Tom Leadon’s career in the music industry
Tom Leadon, born on September 16, 1952, was a member of the Epics, which also included Tom Petty. Mike Campbell joined Mudcrutch in 1970, and the band was born. Jim Lenehan and Randall Marsh were among the founding members, along with Petty, Leadon, and Campbell. Mudcrutch was released in 2008, and Mudcrutch 2 was released in 2016. Both records debuted at the top of the Billboard charts.
They also released two live albums, Extended Play Live in 2008 and The Very Best Performances from the 2016 Mudcrutch Tour in 2017. They were also famous for songs like Depot Street, Scare Easy, Hungry No More, and others. Leadon left the band in 1972 and went on to play in other groups. This all started with Linda Ronstadt’s band and Silver, a country rock band.
After disbanding in 1975, Mudcrutch reformed in 2007 and released their first album. Mudcrutch continued to perform, but with Petty’s death in 2017, the band was effectively over. According to Tom’s memoir, Conversations with Tom Petty, Leadon was a major influence on him and the reason he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a successful musical career.
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