Tulsa Musician Recounts Early Career With Tom Petty

A Tulsa musician is remembering his days spent with Tom Petty in the wake of the music legend's hospitalization.

Dwight Twilley worked with Petty at Tulsa's Church Studio early in their careers.

"First place it started out, right here, we both worked here at The Church Studio, and we were assigned to shelter records, and the thing that's different about it is we were just really little kids, and we weren't famous," Twilley said.

Twilley said he and Petty collaborated and helped each other in their musical careers, which he said was a magical feeling.

10/2/2017 Related Story: LAPD Clarifies It Cannot Confirm Tom Petty's Death

"Just little kids in this nasty big business, and so he had his band and I had my band and we just kind of helped each other out along the way," Twilley said.

Twilley described Petty as a smart man with great instincts.

He said one of the stories he'll always remember is how the hook for one of Petty's songs came to be.

In the early hours one night in Hollywood, Twilley said, Petty played him a song that he and his band had just recorded. 

"Mike Campbell had played a little guitar just as it's fading out he did this little lick and I said Tom I think that's your hook, that's your hook and so you know, like I said I was a little intoxicated, and I left it I didn't think anything left the building and didn't think anything for about it," Twilley said.

Twilley said he later learned that Petty brought his band back and recorded "Breakdown," Petty's first hit.

It was that magic, Twilley said, along with teamwork, he remembers Petty's talent.

"At the end of the day, he was just a super talented person, and a great song writer, that I respect very much," Twilley said. "A person that's a great songwriter gets my salute there aren't in my opinion that many". 

And Petty, he said, is one of those people. 

People have already left flowers for Petty at the Church Studio.

We will continue to follow Petty's condition and bring you updates on our app and online.