Michael (Mike) Wayne Campbell (born February 1, 1950, Panama City, Florida, United States) is an American guitarist and record producer, best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Noted mostly for his longtime work as Tom Petty's lead guitarist, Campbell is also a producer and songwriter on his own.
Campbell graduated from Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida in 1968 and quickly moved to pursue a career in music. At 16,...
more
Michael (Mike) Wayne Campbell (born February 1, 1950, Panama City, Florida, United States) is an American guitarist and record producer, best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Noted mostly for his longtime work as Tom Petty's lead guitarist, Campbell is also a producer and songwriter on his own.
Campbell graduated from Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida in 1968 and quickly moved to pursue a career in music. At 16, he bought his first guitar, a cheap Harmony model, from a pawnshop. His first electric guitar was a $60 Goya. Like Tom Petty, Campbell drew his strongest influences from The Byrds and Bob Dylan, with additional inspiration coming from guitarists such as Scotty Moore, Luther Perkins, George Harrison, Carl Wilson, Jerry Garcia, Roger McGuinn, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Jimmy Page, Mick Taylor, and Neil Young. The first song he learned to play was "Baby Let Me Follow You Down," a song which appeared on Dylan's eponymous debut album.
He formed...
less
