After losing consciousness on Sunday evening at his home, legendary singer Tom Petty was rushed to the hospital and is reported to be in critical condition.
According to TMZ, Petty was at his Malibu home yesterday evening when he was found unresponsive. The 66-year-old was reportedly not breathing and in full cardiac arrest when help arrived. The status of the singer is not known at this time, but as of last night, the singer was reported to be in critical condition.
Paramedics who were first to respond to the incident were allegedly able to revive Petty and get a pulse. TMZ goes on to say that the “Free Fallin'” singer was taken to Santa Monica’s UCLA hospital, where he was immediately put on life support.
The last post on Petty’s Instagram came just two hours ago and included a photo of Petty and music director Ed Burns recording his hit song “She’s the One.” The post made no mention of Petty being in the hospital or suffering any sort of medical issue, but fans who heard the tragic the news commented on the recent post with their well-wishes.
“Stay strong, Tom. The world needs a man like you more than ever on a day like this.”
“Don’t back down!! Get better Tom,” another fan chimed in.
On September 25, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played the last show of their U.S. tour in Los Angeles. The multi-city U.S. tour began this past April in Oklahoma City, according to his website. Petty’s tour schedule indicates that the singer has a break until November, where he was to play two more shows in New York.
UPDATE: After breaking news reports initially broke that Petty was in the hospital in critical condition, it has been confirmed that the 66-year-old rocker is still clinging to life. According to TMZ, a chaplain visited Petty’s hospital room after it was found that he had zero brain activity when he arrived. He is not expected to make it through the evening.
Tom’s good friend, Bob Dylan, told Rolling Stone that the news was both “shocking” and “crushing.” He went on to say that he thought the world of Tom and that he will never forget his late friend.
As of this afternoon, the singer’s camp has yet to post anything about Tom’s condition on either their Facebook or Instagram accounts. Petty has a wife and two daughters.
Are you surprised to hear the news?
[Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images]