Tribute to Tom Petty planned in Pahrump saloon

American rock legend Tom Petty recently passed away on Oct. 2, and in his honor, local classic rock band “Nearly Departed” plans a tribute to Petty from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Painted Lady Saloon.

There is no cover charge.

Nearly Departed is made up of Troy Hope on vocals, Sean Musselman on drums, Jud Holtan on keyboards, Bob White on bass guitar and Bob Woods plays lead guitar.

Woods said they will be doing four sets.

“We are a really good band,” Woods said. “One of the band members, Bob White, and I have been playing together since 2000. Another band member, Troy Hope, has been playing with me for 35 years.”

Woods said he grew up here in Pahrump and was a member of the first graduating class of Pahrump and has been in town for 50 years. He said Bob White has been teaching music in town with the Nye County School District since the 1980s.

White explained why the band is doing the tribute.

“Tom Petty has written so many songs and influenced so many other rock bands,” White said. “He has written so many great songs I am sure that the textbooks that have sections on rock music will have an entire section on Tom Petty if they don’t already.”

White said his favorite Petty songs were “Refugee,” “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “I Won’t Back Down.”

Woods agrees with White’s assessment on Petty.

“I have seen all the big acts, including Led Zeppelin. I saw Tom Petty in 2006 up in Sturgis. I went up there just to see him. I thought he was the anti-rock star. He never forgot his fans and was really down to earth.”

Woods feels Petty wrote good music until he passed away and is in the top two greatest of all rockers.

“His last record was just as good as his first,” he said. “That says a lot. He was still putting out relevant music up until his death. My favorites songs of his were “American Girl,” “Room at the Top of the World Tonight” and “Free Fallin’.”

For more info, call the Painted Lady Saloon at 775-537-7290. The saloon is at 1330 Fifth St. near Nevada Highway 372.

Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com