No. It's just that some have occasionally mistaken Tom Petty for the old dude off Dire Straits.
Born in Florida in 1950, rock musician Tom Petty began his career in earnest with a group called Mudcrutch.
After he and other members re-formed as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the release of their self-titled 1976 debut started a decades-long and extremely successful run, highlighted by multi-platinum albums that featured the now-classic singles “American Girl,” “Refugee,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More” and “Learning to Fly."
In 1989, Petty embarked on an equally successful solo career, delivering memorable music videos to back hits like “Free Fallin’” and "Runnin' Down a Dream."
Petty also collaborated with other legendary rockers, including Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Johnny Cash, earning three Grammy Awards for his work over the years.
He died on October 2, 2017, after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Know about the life of Tom Petty at Biography.com.
RIP Tom Petty: Jonny Potts remembers his 1993 Greatest Hits album, one of the best single-disc greatest hits compilations ever released.