10 Rock Musicians Who Almost Died On Tour

Tom Petty was never really a guy that you needed to worry about his narcotic intake. Though he was known to indulge in the occasional excesses from time to time (I mean...it was rock in the '80s), you could always tell that Petty wasn't going to just become a casualty who lets drugs get in the way of his relationship with his fans. No, the real danger here was actually something else...or in this case someone.

After finishing up the recordings for what would become Southern Accents, Petty was about to take to the road when he woke up one morning to a burning building. In the early hours of the morning, Petty's house caught fire and left him with virtually nothing left, as he didn't even have shoes on when he emerged from the inferno. Though no one was hurt, it came as a shock to Petty when the incident was ruled as an arson, with someone lighting flammable material around the house before escaping.

While this was a dark time for Petty's personal life, his friends really came through for him, with Annie Lennox helping his family get new clothes and the rest of his family coming with him on the road to support the rest of the record. Over time, Petty didn't show any fear about it either, claiming that if he keeps his guard up like that, the arsonist wins. It just goes to show that even when you put any setback against him, Petty is one to follow his own muse and not back down.