The Heartbreakers reunite for first show since Tom Petty’s death | The IndependentSkip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.Subscribe`; document.body.appendChild(modal); modal.addEventListener('click', () => { document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; }); modal.querySelector('.subscribe-link')?.addEventListener('click', (e) => { e.preventDefault(); document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; setTimeout(() => { window.location.href = 'https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app'; }, 500); });});]]>Carsen HoladayFriday 18 September 2026 08:04 BSTChris Stapleton performs American Girl with The HeartbreakersTom Petty’s band The Heartbreakers have performed together for the first time since the frontman’s death in 2017 at the Americana Honors and Awards in Nashville.Country star Chris Stapleton joined the surviving band members on stage to take on vocal and guitar duties for classic hits including “American Girl” and “Breakdown”.Original members Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch were joined by later members Steve Ferrone and Scott Thurston to perform “You Wreck Me”.The group were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the band's formation.Adria Petty accepted the award on behalf of her late father and expressed her gratitude to Stapleton for uniting the band.In fullCountry star steps in for Tom Petty as Heartbreakers play first show since legend’s deathMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in