New York — Tom Petty, the Southern-accented rocker whose classic melodies and dark storytelling created 40 years of hit songs, died Monday of cardiac arrest, his family said. He was 66. Petty, who sold 80-million records, passed away Monday evening surrounded by loved ones after a confusing day in which several media outlets reported and then retracted premature news of his death. "On behalf of the Tom Petty family we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty," a family statement said. Early on Monday, Petty suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, exactly a week after he triumphantly put on what would be his career-capping concert. The rocker had wrapped up a tour celebrating 40 years of his band The Heartbreakers with three sold-out shows at the iconic Hollywood Bowl. He closed the encore with one of his earliest and best-known songs — American Girl, which tells of an ambitious girl "raised on promises" but now...
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