10 Biggest Backstabbing Moments In Rock History
9. Ron Blair - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Rock and roll has never been the most fertile breeding ground for the more introverted set of players. In a world where acts like KISS make their bread and butter on hamming it up for their fans, it doesn't really pay well to be the guy standing at the back doing nothing on stage. Though Ron Blair originally stood out in that regard, the old rock and roll lifestyle started to take its toll on this former Heartbreaker.
As Tom Petty's career started to kick into high gear with the album Damn the Torpedoes, Blair started to find more and more aspects of the industry that he just didn't like, from the sleazy money handlers to the hangers on that would populate every show. It all seemed to come with the territory though...as long as he was actually able to play on the record...which he often wasn't.
Since the studio atmosphere was getting more and more testy, Petty and Mike Campbell's criticisms about the bass led to them playing on the record instead, driving Blair more and more into the background. Aside from just taking a break from the Heartbreakers, Blair got out of the music business altogether, opting to go into the swimwear industry and working in California. While he eventually rejoined the Heartbreakers, it was a long time before Ron got fully accommodated with the rock and roll circus.