The family of the late Tom Petty is upset that his 1989 hit “I Won’t Back Down” was played at Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday.
“Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind,” read a statement from Petty’s daughters Adria and Annakim, their mother Jane and Petty’s second wife Dana.
“Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.”
Petty died in 2017 of an accidental drug overdose. He was 66.
The family said it has issued a cease and desist notice to the Trump campaign. It explained it was speaking up because “we would hate for fans that are marginalized by this administration to think we were complicit in this usage."
— Tom Petty (@tompetty) June 21, 2020
The campaign also played The Rolling Stones tracks “She’s a Rainbow” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want" at the rally. The band has repeatedly asked Trump to stop playing their songs.
Also played before Trump appeared at the podium was “Devil’s Sidewalk” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Young has previously expressed his objections to the Trump campaign using his songs at rallies, although he has conceded that he has no legal right to stop it.
Earlier this month, the Canadian-born singer called Trump "a poor leader" in a message on his website. "I believe he will be powerless soon and I wish him the best in his next life. That sorry man will not destroy the American Dream."