Founding Heartbreakers to Play Together Again

Founding members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, and Ron Blair, are set to perform together. This reunion occurs a decade after Tom Petty's passing and will see them open the Americana Awards, where they will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Later, they will be joined by other former band members.

This reunion coincides with the release of the new box set, Origins 1971-1978, scheduled for November 6. The collection focuses on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' formative years between 1971 and 1978. It includes previously unreleased tracks and collaborations with artists like Al Kooper.

The box set begins with "No Sleep Til L.A.," featuring early recordings from Petty's time in Los Angeles. It also includes remixed versions of their first two albums and a live performance from 1977, alongside rare solo material.

The release also contains footage of the band's 1978 appearance on BBC's "The Old Grey Whistle Test." This period is described as a time of rapid development for Petty as a songwriter and bandleader.