Tom Leadon, a well-known singer, and guitarist for Mudcrutch, died on March 22, 2023, at the age of 70. Tom Leadon died of “natural causes,” according to his brother Mark Leadon, who disclosed the news on Facebook. Mike Campbell, guitarist and part of Tom Petty’s band, gave homage to Leadon on Instagram with a few photos. In the description, he wrote:
“Tom Leadon was my deepest guitar soul brother; we spent hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other.” A gentler spirit has never traversed the earth’s surface. I’ll never forget his energy or kindness. “Good night, my old friend.”
Trio musicale The Bennett Hall Band also conveyed their sorrow by referring to him as a wonderful instructor and friend. They stated that they had the chance to perform on stage with him several times, adding:
“He was a fantastic storyteller; he loved to critique each show and tell us how we could improve, and he was ecstatic to be a part of our journey.” What more could a student want in a teacher? Mr. Tom, we will miss you and adore you.”
The Long Players, a well-known band, also shared a photo of Leadon and stated that they would be participating in Tom Petty’s record Wildflowers in 2022, adding that Leadon was the “emotional core” of the performance.
Twitter users give homage
Aside from music industry honors, Twitter was inundated with messages from admirers and users who learned of Tom Leadon’s death.
RIP Tom Leadon pic.twitter.com/fHFXg2K6w5
— dave_shebroe 🧊🇺🇸The Clubhouse 🇺🇸 (@shebroe_dave) March 27, 2023
RIP Tom Leadon. It was great to get to know you a bit over the last decade, topped off by sharing the vocal duties on American Girl with you and Jake Thistle last October in Gainesville. Rest easy. 🙏🏼🕉️☯️💔
📷 Adam Carlisle pic.twitter.com/E1k5RMz4y1
— Jeff Slate (@jeffslate) March 27, 2023
The career of Tom Leadon in the music business
Tom Leadon, who was born on September 16, 1952, first joined the ensemble Epics, which also included Tom Petty. Mudcrutch was formed in 1970 after they were joined by Mike Campbell. Petty, Leadon, and Campbell were among the founding members, as were Jim Lenehan and Randall Marsh. The ensemble only issued two recordings, Mudcrutch in 2008 and Mudcrutch 2 in 2016. Both records debuted at the summit of the Billboard rankings.
In addition, they issued two live albums: Extended Play Live in 2008 and The Very Best Performances from the 2016 Mudcrutch Tour in 2017. They were also well-known for songs such as Depot Street, Scare Easy, Hungry No More, and others.
Leadon left the ensemble in 1972 and went on to perform in other bands. This began with Linda Ronstadt’s band and Silver, a country rock outfit. Mudcrutch reformed in 2007, after disbanding in 1975, and released their first recording. Mudcrutch continued to perform, but Petty’s death in 2017 effectively ended the band. According to Tom’s memoir, Conversations with Tom Petty, Leadon was one of his main influences and the reason he relocated to Los Angeles to seek a flourishing musical career.
