Tom Petty once prominently displayed the Confederate flag as part of his tour but years later expressed his regret at using such a display.
Promoting their 1985 album ‘South Accents’, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers used the flag on promotional materials for their albums as well as its tour.
But in a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Petty, who died on Monday, said he felt remorseful for using the flag.
‘It was a downright stupid thing to do,’ he said. ‘I felt stupid. If I had just been a little more observant about things going on around me, it wouldn’t have happened.’
Tom Petty, pictured performing in June 2016, once used the Confederate flag as part of an album’s promotion
The 1985 album ‘Southern Accents’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers used Confederate flag imagery, mostly because of a particular song called ‘Rebels’
Petty was born in Gainesville Florida, where he claimed that ‘the Confederate flag was the wallpaper of the South’.
His band used the flag as part of its promotion because of a song on ‘Southern Accents’ called ‘Rebels’, a song about a Southerner who takes pride in his traditions.
The song’s chorus goes: ‘I was born a rebel. Down in Dixie on a Sunday morning. Yeah – with one foot in the grave. And one foot on the pedal. I was born a rebel.’
But after seeing people show up to his concerts with Confederate memorabilia, he said that he realized the effect the flag had had on his audience.
Giving a speech to concertgoers, he once said: ‘This is not who we are. Having gone through this, I would prefer it if no one would ever bring a Confederate flag to our shows again because this isn’t who we are.’
Petty spoke to Rolling Stone as part of a series about rock musicians reacting to the lowering of the Confederate flag in South Carolina.
The final picture: Tom Petty, front right, is seen backstage before his final performance at the Hollywood Bowl last week; he has died aged 66 following a devastating cardiac arrest
Commenting on contemporary society, he said: ‘The way we’re losing black men and citizens in general is horrific. What’s going on in society is unforgivable. As a country, we should be more concerned with why the police are getting away with targeting black men and killing them for no reason. That’s a bigger issue than the flag.
‘Years from now, people will look back on today and say, “You mean we privatized the prisons so there’s no profit unless the prison is full?” You’d think someone in kindergarten could figure out how stupid that is. We’re creating so many of our own problems.’
Petty also poked fun at Kid Rock, a Donald Trump-supporting musician who believes that Confederate iconography should remain prominent in public spaces.
‘Isn’t Kid Rock from the Midwest?’ he asked. ‘I think they were on the other side of the Civil War.’
Kid Rock was born in Ohio and grew up in Michigan.
Petty died on Monday after being removed from life support at the age of 66.
He died at 8.40pm in Los Angeles while surrounded by his family, friends and bandmates, according to his longtime manager Tony Dimitriades.
The move came after tests confirmed the Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers lead singer had no brain function on Monday morning, hours after he suffered a devastating cardiac arrest.
The veteran star had been found unconscious and not breathing at his Malibu home on Sunday night, as first reported by TMZ.
Responding to a 911 call, emergency services resuscitated Petty before rushing him to a hospital in nearby Santa Monica.
Los Angeles police initially confirmed Petty’s death to CBS News on Monday, but was forced to issue an apology as the singer had not yet died.
Hours later it was confirmed by multiple sources he had passed away after being removed from life support.
Petty spoke to Rolling Stone in 2015 amid the South Carolina government’s decision to lower the Confederate flag (pictured in Columbia, South Carolina). He said of his use of the flag: ‘It was a downright stupid thing to do’
As he was: Petty is seen performing in Britain back in 1978
Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Famer Petty first found fame in the 1970s with his band releasing hits including Breakdown, American Girl, The Waiting, Free Fallin’, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around and Listen to Her Heart.
He had success both as part of The Heartbreakers – with whom he worked on and off for 40 years – and as a solo artist.
He also formed part of the 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison.
Petty continued to work as a popular musician up until his death.
His most recent album, 2014’s Hypnotic Eye, was the first Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers to top the charts in the U.S.
The artist had just completed a 40th anniversary 53-date tour with The Heartbreakers, winning rave reviews with his final performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles last week.
Star power: Celebrities rushed to share their tributes to Petty
His influence was widespread, and could be seen as stars From LeAnn Rimes to Sheryl Crow and Bryan Adams rushed to pay tribute on social media.
‘Thank you for giving so much, a lifetime of inspiration and love,’ wrote Ryan Adams.
Petty was the father of daughters Adria and Annakim from his 22-year first marriage to his teenage sweetheart Jane Benyo.
Adria is a respected video producer, working with stars including Beyonce.
Petty is also survived by second wife Dana York Epperson. The two first met at one of his concerts in 1991 and married in 2001.
His daughter AnnaKim took to social media to share moving several emotional pictures of her reaction to her father’s death.
She posted: ’96 tears was the first song my dad taught me to play thank you for all the love this has been the longest day of my life’.
AnnaKim also posted several throwback pictures of herself and her father in happier times.