Mike Campbell

Biography

Michael Wayne Campbell (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist and vocalist. He was a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-wrote many of the band's hits with Petty, including "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", "You Got Lucky", and "Runnin' Down a Dream". Outside of The Heartbreakers, he has worked as a session guitarist and songwriter with a number of other acts, including composing and playing on the Don Henley hits "The Boys of Summer" and "The Heart of the Matter" as well as working on most of Stevie Nicks's solo albums. Campbell, along with Neil Finn, joined Fleetwood Mac to replace lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham on their world tour in 2018–2019. After the end of that tour, he has been performing with his own band, the Dirty Knobs. As of 2024, the Dirty Knobs have released three albums.
On November 11, 2011, Rolling Stone magazine named Campbell in their list of the top 100 guitarists, placing him at number 79. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Early years

Campbell was born on February 1, 1950, in Panama City, Florida. He grew up there and in Jacksonville, Florida, where he graduated from Jean Ribault High School in 1968. When he was 16, his mother, Helen Barber, bought him his first guitar, a Harmony acoustic model which he later described as "unplayable", from a pawnshop. Campbell's first electric guitar was a $60 Guyatone; however, playing a friend's Gibson SG (a model which Campbell would not own himself for many years) was a transformative experience for him. Like Tom Petty, Campbell drew his strongest influences from The Byrds and Bob Dylan with additional inspiration coming from guitarists such as Scotty Moore, Luther Perkins, George Harrison, Carl Wilson, Jerry Garcia, Roger McGuinn, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Jimmy Page, Mick Taylor and Neil Young. The first song he learned to play was "Baby Let Me Follow You Down", a song which appeared on Dylan's eponymous debut album. He formed a band named Dead or Alive which quickly disbanded.
Campbell met Tom Petty through drummer Randall Marsh. Marsh was auditioning to be in Petty's band Mudcrutch and learned that Mudcrutch had recently lost their guitarist. He suggested that Petty try Campbell, who was his roommate and had actually been listening to the conversation in the next room. Campbell impressed Petty with his version of "Johnny B. Goode" and was offered a spot in the band. Mudcrutch became a popular act around Gainesville and north Florida in the early 1970s. They relocated to Los Angeles in 1974 and signed a record deal with Shelter Records but released only one poor-selling single and broke up soon after.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

In 1976, Campbell rejoined Petty to begin Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with former Mudcrutch member Benmont Tench (keyboards) along with Ron Blair (bass guitar) and Stan Lynch (drums).
Like the other Heartbreakers, Campbell avoids the virtuoso approach to playing, preferring to have his work serve the needs of each song.
Campbell co-produced the Heartbreakers albums Southern Accents, Pack Up the Plantation: Live!, Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), Into the Great Wide Open, Songs and Music from "She's the One", Echo, The Last DJ, The Live Anthology and Mojo as well as the Petty solo albums Full Moon Fever, Wildflowers and Highway Companion. His sole vocal contribution to the group was on the track "I Don't Wanna Fight" on Echo.
Campbell collaborated, recorded and toured with Tom Petty for almost 50 years. His last live performance with the Heartbreakers took place on September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Tom Petty died unexpectedly about one week later on October 2.

Side projects

In 1997, Campbell co-founded the Blue Stingrays with Heartbreakers member Ron Blair and Mudcrutch member Randall Marsh, releasing their one album the same year.
In 2007, he joined a reformed Mudcrutch with Petty, Tench, Marsh and Tom Leadon: they debuted in 2008 with a tour and an album. The band returned in 2016 for another album and tour before Petty's death.
On April 9, 2018, Fleetwood Mac announced that Campbell would be joining the band along with Neil Finn to replace lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham for their 2018–19 world tour. In March 2022, Campbell announced he had not worked with Fleetwood Mac after 2019 and that he had moved on.
On March 18, 2025, Campbell's book / audiobook, "Heartbreaker: A Memoir" was published.

The Dirty Knobs

While in the Heartbreakers, Campbell was lead singer and guitarist with a side band, the Dirty Knobs, with guitarist Jason Sinay, drummer Matt Laug, and bassist Lance Morrison. "It's rougher-edged [than Petty's material]," Campbell says of the group, "It's slightly over-driven, less polished, lots of Sixties influence: The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, The Animals. It's something I probably should have done a long time ago, but I didn't 'cause I was wrapped up in the Heartbreakers." They released a single, "Feelin' High", in 2010. Jason Sinay left the band in 2022 to focus on his solo career. His replacement is Texas guitarist Chris Holt, who has played with Don Henley, Max Weinberg, the Eagles.
The band released the title track from its debut album, Wreckless Abandon, in January 2020, followed by the album itself in November of that year. The album was produced by Campbell and George Drakoulias, who with Tom Petty produced Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' The Last D.J. The cover art was by Klaus Voormann who created the cover of The Beatles Revolver.
In the summer of 2021, the band released a new single, a cover of J. J. Cale's "Humdinger".
In April 2022, the band released their second album, External Combustion.
In 2023, Matt Laug became the touring drummer for AC/DC so former Heartbreaker, Steve Ferrone, was brought in on drums.
On May 7, 2024, the band released a new song and video, "Dare to Dream" from their third album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, released on June 14, 2024.
On June 12, 2026, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs will release their fourth album, "Mission of Mercy"; the first single released was "I Remember".