Tom Petty has been awarded a PhD in music by the University of Florida.
The Associated Press reports that the school's board of trustees unanimously voted to award the songwriter born Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree last Friday (December 3).
The honour comes nearly two decades after Petty and longtime band the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Petty, who was born and raised in Gainesville, FL, had once worked as a groundskeeper at the school early in his career, but was never enrolled.
"Tom Petty is widely considered among the most distinctive and influential musicians over the past 50 years," university provost Joseph Glover said in a statement. "His presence remains significant."
Petty passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2017. He was 66.
Last year, the artist's estate treated his celebrated Wildflowers album to a deluxe reissue.
The Associated Press reports that the school's board of trustees unanimously voted to award the songwriter born Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree last Friday (December 3).
The honour comes nearly two decades after Petty and longtime band the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Petty, who was born and raised in Gainesville, FL, had once worked as a groundskeeper at the school early in his career, but was never enrolled.
"Tom Petty is widely considered among the most distinctive and influential musicians over the past 50 years," university provost Joseph Glover said in a statement. "His presence remains significant."
Petty passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2017. He was 66.
Last year, the artist's estate treated his celebrated Wildflowers album to a deluxe reissue.
