Original Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch recently joined an interview with Rolling Stone. The musician revealed that he wishes he had handled the situation in the band in a more proper way regarding his departure.
Stan Lynch joined Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1974 when Petty’s piano player Benmont Tench recruited him. They weren’t officially named the Heartbreakers until they came together in Los Angeles in 1976. Lynch contributed to the band’s first eight albums, and he served as the band’s original drummer for two decades until he decided to leave in 1994.
The drummer realized after some point that he didn’t want to be in the band anymore due to the personal and musical differences he had with Tom Petty. Later on, Stan Lynch worked with many other prominent names like the Eagles, Eddie Money, Toto, and Ringo Starr. Lynch joined his former bandmates during their induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
The drummer looked back and opened up about his time with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers during a recent appearance. He admitted acting wrong and didn’t communicate with his bandmates properly. Thus, the rocker said he has tons of regrets regarding his time with the band. He could have handled things better, and his mistakes were mainly related to miscommunication and immaturity.
Lynch reflecting on his time in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:
“There were many things that were not said that should have been said. There was a lot of miscommunication and many immature sh*ts going down. I didn’t need to be that way. I have regrets. Tons of them. There are things I could have handled better, specifically with Mike. And so I have regrets, but they don’t hold me back. I learn from them.”
Earlier this year, Stan Lynch reunited with his former bandmate, Mike Campbell, when Campbell asked him to join him on the road with the Dirty Knobs. Lynch accepted the offer, and the two re-established their musical partnership. Lynch’s current shows with Campbell will end in June.
