(Credits: Far Out / Album Cover / Warner Records)
Tue 13 January 2026 14:05, UK
For anybody with a foot in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, an invitation from Tom Petty to join The Heartbreakers was a dream ticket that they’d accept without a moment of thinking.
Not only was it a chance to share a stage with Petty and his right-hand man, Mike Campbell, but a rare, tantalising opportunity to thrill tens of thousands of fans each night. Playing classic songs to audiences of that size is a dream that most musicians will never get to live out; therefore, the idea of rejecting Petty is impossible to consider.
The 1990s were an intriguing decade for Petty, who released his solo debut in 1989 before returning to the Heartbreakers and splitting his time between both camps. He became more open-minded in the studio, bringing in Jeff Lynne, Roger McGuinn, and Richard Tandy onto 1991’s Into the Great Wide Open, a philosophy that would enrich the Heartbreakers.
While the line-up of The Heartbreakers was solid, as they continued to achieve success and began to work with higher budgets, Petty would welcome a long list of additional musicians who contributed to their material. As far as he was concerned, the more the merrier. However, being asked to help during a session and being a full-time Heartbreaker were two very different propositions.
Since their formation, the Heartbreakers kept the same line-up until Stan Lynch quit as the drummer in 1994, which opened the door for Dave Grohl.
The legendary Fleetwood Mac. (Credits: Far Out / IMDB)
Following the end of Nirvana after the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, Grohl made his return to the stage performing with the Heartbreakers on Saturday Night Live following Lynch’s exit. Despite the tempting proposal, he’d already started creating new music, eventually evolving into Foo Fighters.
Considering Lynch’s departure had opened up a vacancy within the band, it’s understandable why Petty posed the question to Grohl. Nevertheless, around this era, he also tried to recruit Lindsay Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, which is less self-explanatory.
When Petty and he Heartbreakers took on the soundtrack to the 1996 rom-com She’s The One, they were joined by an all-star cast, including Ringo Starr. Buckingham contributed to three tracks, and while Petty hated the final product, which he later described as “offensive”, he loved working with the Fleetwood Mac guitarist.
At the time, Fleetwood Mac were in somewhat of a flux following the departure of Buckingham, as well as Stevie Nicks. While their Rumours-era line-up eventually reunited in 1997, that didn’t seem on the cards at the time, and for good reason, Petty chanced his arm by throwing a lifeline to Buckingham.
Speaking to Men’s Journal, Petty later recalled: “I do remember trying to talk Lindsey into joining the band that night. Stevie [Nicks] wasn’t playing with them at the time, so I said, ‘Why don’t you just join our band and get the heat off of me?’ I never wanted to be the front guy – I got that job and I’ve been stuck with it ever since.”
Although it still doesn’t quite seem clear where Buckingham would fit into the Heartbreakers, considering they already had Campbell and Petty in their ranks, he’d still have undoubtedly enhanced the band. He’s a rare talent, which is why Petty would have been more than happy to move things around and compromise to bring him in. Additionally, his star power would have been a welcome distraction that would have allowed Petty to slightly fade into the background.
While Petty didn’t provide a reason why Buckingham rejected his offer, it was likely the right decision due to the impending reunion of Fleetwood Mac. A few shows as a Heartbreaker may have given him the bug for more, potentially ruling out a return with Fleetwood Mac, which would have been a huge shame.
As much as he was a talent, the Heartbreakers were more than capable on their own, too; therefore, it’s hard to deny that things worked out well for all parties.
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