The Ledge - Stevie remembers Tom at Musicares event

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Stevie Nicks Gets Emotional When Remembering Tom Petty Ahead of 2018 Grammys

by MIKE VULPO | Fri., Jan. 26, 2018 7:48 PM

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Stevie Nicks, Tom PettyMichael Kovac/WireImage

Stevie Nicks is paying tribute to a musician she will never forget.

While accepting the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year Award alongside her Fleetwood Mac bandmates, the singer took time to remember Tom Petty who passed away last October.

"The loss of Tom Petty has just about broken my heart," she told the packed crowd inside the Radio City Music Hall. "He was not only a good man to go down the river with as Johnny Cash said but he was a great father and a great friend. He was one of my best friends. My heart will never get over this."

Stevie also revealed that Tom's daughter Adria Petty was at the venue and came to New York City yesterday to be part of the special event.

"He did the MusiCares thing last year and he spent a lot of time after that night talking about how important it was to him and maybe he was talking about it because Tom was ill," Stevie explained. "He was not well and he fought his way through that tour. He should have canceled. He should have just gone home and go to the hospital. But not Tom, he was going to go down that river."

Photos
Tom Petty: A Life in Pictures

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Stevie Nicks, MusiCaresDia Dipasupil/Getty Images

She continued while holding back tears, "God bless him. He finished his tour at the Hollywood Bowl—three shows—and one week later he died but he got down the river."

Back on October 2, 2017, E! News confirmed that Tom had passed away at the age of 66 after going into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the UCLA Santa Monica hospital where he died.

According to an autopsy report, the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers passed away of an accidental overdose as a result of taking multiple medications.

At Friday night's event, however, Stevie was all about remembering Tom for his talents and personality on and off the stage.

"So Tom, I know you are standing next to me because you always have been for so many years," Stevie shared at the end of her acceptance speech.

—Reporting by Holly Passalaqua