Mike Campbell Memoir, ‘Heartbreaker,’ Scales New York Times Best Sellers List
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Mike Campbell, no stranger to the top of the album chart as the lead guitarist and frequent songwriter for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, has now scaled a very different chart. His memoir, aptly titled Heartbreaker and written with Ari Surdoval, is now a top-selling book, placing #8 on the New York Times Best Seller List for the issue dated April 6. The title, the first memoir from any of the Heartbreakers, arrived March 18, 2025, via Grand Central Publishing. The 464-page book is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
“Can you believe it?,” Campbell said upon hearing the news about the book’s early success. “I’m very proud and surprised and pleased. Everybody seems to love it. Lucky me! I’m so proud of this. I would never have expected that it would get such a great reaction.”
Together, Petty and Campbell—who turned 75 on February 1—wrote many songs, including some of the band’s biggest hits: “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “You Got Lucky” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream” among them. Campbell’s iconic, melodic playing helped form the foundation of the band’s sound, as heard on such classic rock favorites as “American Girl,” “Breakdown,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “Learning to Fly” and “Into the Great Wide Open.”
From the publisher’s announcement: From their early days in Florida to their dizzying rise to superstardom to Petty’s acclaimed solo albums Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers, Petty never made a record without Campbell. Other career-defining hits Campbell co-wrote include “The Boys of Summer” with Don Henley and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Petty for Stevie Nicks.
But few know of the less-than-glamorous background from which Campbell emerged, and the sacrifices required. His rise was an at-times grueling dream come true that took him from the very bottom to the absolute top, where Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers would remain for decades, creating an astonishing body of work.
Watch Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform “American Girl” at their 2002 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Since Petty’s death in 2017, Campbell has been recording and touring with his band, The Dirty Knobs, and has appeared at numerous benefit concerts. He also played guitar on what proved to be Fleetwood Mac’s final tour. And in 2023, he and the Heartbreakers’ keyboardist, Benmont Tench, along with the Dirty Knobs, joined Bob Dylan for a surprise performance at that year’s Farm Aid.
“This is my book,” Campbell says. “It’s the story of a poor kid from Jacksonville, Florida who realized a dream through music. It’s a long journey through hard work, dedication and luck. Playing guitar and writing songs has been my inspiration and purpose. It’s a story of hope, redemption and gratitude, a testimonial that dreams can come true if you believe in yourself and follow your truth. It took two years to write and it’s a labor of love. I hope you enjoy the ride!”
Campbell will continue doing some book events in April. He begins a summer tour with the Dirty Knobs in June. Tickets are available here and here.
Related: Our recap of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ final concert
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1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationNever knew Mike Campbell wrote all those great songs good to know speaking of which what do you think of his recent work “hell or highwater? It’s catchy and a great video. It’s good to see the music video coming back as an art form don’t you think?