Talk:Tom Petty

Article needs cleanup

This article is mainly a list of affiliations, appearances, and releases. Such information belongs in list format if at all, as in a list of recordings. The text (I'm referring to his career) should concentrate on summarizing Petty's significance: what kind of contributions he has made. It should be much, much shorter and focussed. Zaslav (talk) 07:06, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

Reports of Death

Guys, it's more important that the information on Wikipedia be accurate than timely.
Wikipedia is not a newspaper! Please refrain from placing news of his death until it is verified.
Regards.
DTXBrian (talk) 19:36, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

"If in doubt, leave it out." Regular editors here should consider asking for admin page protection if things get too ridiculous in the coming hours. Ref ^(chew)(do) 19:39, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

It really saddens me for humanity how quick people are in a want to be the "first" to edit about someone's passing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bbx118 (talk • contribs) 19:43, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I have semi-protected the article for three days. I can only see tabloid (emphasis mine) reports he is critically ill. If and when a broadsheet source reports he has actually died, we can update then. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 19:48, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

.... and that doesn't seem to have done the trick, I've now full protected for 3 hours. I will unprotect as soon as somebody produces a high-quality reliable source that meets WP:BLPSOURCES here. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 19:50, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks to User:Ritchie333 - it's a shame that duly registered editors feel the need to join the herd of IPs in abusing the encyclopedia. Ref ^(chew)(do) 19:52, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, thanks to User:Ritchie333. This was reaching a point of absurdity. DTXBrian (talk) 19:53, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Thus far, no one is confirming Petty's death, aside from TMZ and those citing TMZ. Those not citing TMZ claim he has been taken off life support, however. livelikemusic talk! 19:54, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Why is it that people ONLY come to the talk page to discuss this when the page gets locked? C'mon, people, use talk pages. That's what this page is for. DTXBrian (talk) 20:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Because, OMG, a website I visit daily reports it online, so it must be true. /sarcasm. livelikemusic talk! 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Okay... now we're getting somewhere. [[1]]
CBS is a better source than TMZ. Still, I'm not sure I consider this a good enough source. Feels too "based on TMZ" for me. DTXBrian (talk) 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

The LAPD confirmed it for them. They are not just reporting on what TMZ said. Reach Out to the Truth 20:12, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Then CBS News is neglectful, and should have put that information in the article on the website, as it's nowhere to be found there. But yes, I see it now. DTXBrian (talk) 20:16, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Does it not seem peculiar that all three "sources" being cited on here are citing TMZ yet Wikipedia isn't citing TMZ as the main source? Is there a bias against the site that reports celebrity deaths with an extraordinary high rate of both accuracy and first to press? Why is CBS a better source than TMZ?Dobyblue (talk) 20:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

LAPD and TMZ have retracted, and CBS is now noting this. https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/914960436272992256 RichardMathews (talk) 21:11, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, LAPD tweeted 16 mins ago that they have no information on Tom Petty.Dobyblue (talk) 21:12, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

As to why TMZ is not a valid source for this site, they are a tabloid organization. Their revenue is based upon sensationalism. Yes, they get many things right, but they also get many things wrong. You should ask Miley Cyrus about this. Oh, wait, TMZ reported her dead in 2008. Anyway, CBS waited until the LAPD corroborated reports. Yes, they were still wrong, but they still sought corroboration before proceeding. DTXBrian (talk) 21:15, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

CBS and ABC are both reporting he has died. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-petty-legendary-rocker-is-dead-at-66/

Sign your post. DTXBrian (talk) 20:11, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

TMZ is reporting that reports the LAPD confirmed the death are "inaccurate" and Tom is still "clinging to life" but has a DNR.Dobyblue (talk) 21:07, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I Thought He Was Still Alive Still Darthpool2016 (talk) 22:46, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (1)

As he is still alive, let's please fix the birth date in the lead sentence and infobox. So,

'''Thomas Earl Petty''' (October 20, 1950)

to

'''Thomas Earl Petty''' (born October 20, 1950)

and

| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1950|10|20}}

to

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1950|10|20}}

– Muboshgu (talk) 19:54, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Done, thank you. ST47 (talk) 20:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Tom Petty died today.

He is being reported dead by a heart attack. --2600:1009:B10E:B1B4:8DB4:C4B4:2EDD:AF8B (talk) 19:55, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Edit it then. But you can't, because that's unconfirmed and admins have stopped you doing it. Ref ^(chew)(do) 19:56, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

There is not a reliable source that can confirm this. Only tabloid response. livelikemusic talk! 19:57, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Here's one: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-petty-legendary-rocker-is-dead-at-66/ Corndog234 (talk) 20:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Update it he died today Wackley1515 (talk) 22:53, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (2)

Add artist's date of death. Alexbehrens (talk) 19:57, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

There is not a reliable source that can confirm this. Only tabloid response. livelikemusic talk! 19:57, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Impossible. You have not supplied a source that says he is dead, and admins won't be agreeing to this request. Ref ^(chew)(do) 19:58, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: Per livelikemusic (talk · contribs) and Refsworldlee (talk · contribs). – Muboshgu (talk) 19:59, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (3)

Death: October 1, 2017 Clb1265 (talk) 20:00, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

There is not a reliable source that can confirm this. Only tabloid response. livelikemusic talk! 20:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (4)

WAS. he's dead. Odm56 (talk) 20:00, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

There is not a reliable source that can confirm this. Only tabloid response. livelikemusic talk! 20:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Tom Petty has been pulled off of life support.

As reported by the New York Daily News and Chicago Sun Times: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/tom-petty-critical-condition-cardiac-arrest-article-1.3536756 https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/tom-petty-on-life-support-after-being-found-unconscious-tmz/ Jokullmusic 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

These are all reporting on the TMZ report, none of them are independent sources on their own. ST47 (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

TMZ is reliable. Jokullmusic 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (5)

Tom Petty had a cardiac arrest today and is on 'life support' 67.98.222.31 (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (6)

Please change his status as he is no longer with us. RIP. 216.195.89.58 (talk) 20:02, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

No confirmation. ST47 (talk) 20:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Muboshgu: is TMZ not a reliable source? [2]  — Amakuru (talk) 20:04, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Amakuru: TMZ is an unreliable tabloid source. – Muboshgu (talk) 21:37, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (7)

Tom Petty Passed Away today. Please update. 38.142.32.66 (talk) 20:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Here's the source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-petty-legendary-rocker-is-dead-at-66/

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (8)

Bythenumbers014 (talk) 20:04, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

tom petty is dead.

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:04, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

CBS News Confirms Petty's Death

Four minutes ago, CBS News confirmed Petty's death, as found here: CBS News livelikemusic talk! 20:04, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

This is certainly reliable. Jokullmusic 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Agreed; CBS News learned about Petty's death from the LAPD. Mewtwowimmer (talk) 20:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Done - FlightTime (open channel) 20:27, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (8)

Died September 2nd 2017 24.38.89.130 (talk) 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (9)

As others above me have already noted, he died and this should be added to the article. This has since been confirmed by the non-tabloid news source CBS News: [3] Everymorning (talk) 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC) Everymorning (talk) 20:05, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Done - FlightTime (open channel) 20:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (10)

Personal life: Tom Petty passed away October 2nd, 2017 50.84.65.46 (talk) 20:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Done - FlightTime (open channel) 20:29, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (11)

died: October 2nd, 2017 Whiterice07 (talk) 20:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Source The Haz _talk 20:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Already done – Muboshgu (talk) 20:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Edit request for page

CBS is confirming the news of Tom Petty's demise: [4]

Do we hold for further confirmation or do we update now? ShawnIsHere: Now in colors 20:07, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I changed the protection level back to semiprotection. Hope that was OK, Ritchie333. The death has been confirmed by CBS, so seems genuine, and the community as a whole can fill in the blanks better than just the admins. Thanks  — Amakuru (talk) 20:12, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Amakuru: It's going to have to be okay I guess; if I re-protected I would be wheel warring which is an absolute no-no. I know the Las Vegas shooting is grabbing all the news coverage today, I'm still perplexed over why BBC News has not even put so much as a "breaking news" template up yet; which is really odd. I guess I'm just crossing my fingers that this a huge mix up with over-eager reporters, and he's not actually dead. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 20:20, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, hopefully so. It does seem like maybe all the news outlets are going off the one update to the TMZ page, but hard to be sure. CBS say they "confirmed" it. If you do want it restored to full protection, just let me know.  — Amakuru (talk) 20:25, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Now that The Guardian has got an obituary, I think the reason for protection has gone. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 20:44, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

LAPD was the source for CBS, they are now tweeting they have no information and CBS has retracted their story, TMZ now reporting Petty clinging to life support but has a DNR on file.Dobyblue (talk) 21:14, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Tom Petty has died

Tom Petty is dead on October 1, 2017 following a heart attack. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ftl900 (talk • contribs) 20:09, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

According to what? I saw cardiac arrest, not a heart attack, in news articles on the subject. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Shawnfries (talk • contribs) 20:21, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/02/rock-star-tom-petty-dies-heart-attack

User:Shawnfries, "cardiac arrest" and "heart attack" are often used as synonyms. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:53, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

But they're not. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_arrest

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/scda

Semi-protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (14)

Tom petty just died 24.11.208.159 (talk) 20:14, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

 Done. Noted. Article is being updated, thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:23, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Death date

The TMZ article,[5] says "We're told after Petty got to the hospital he had no brain activity and a decision was made to pull life support", which suggests that he may have died yesterday rather than today. I guess we have to wait for further confirmation of a definite death date.  — Amakuru (talk) 20:19, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Is CBS news a reliable enough source?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-petty-legendary-rocker-is-dead-at-66/ --Dr who1975 (talk) 20:21, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Of course. Why not? Martinevans123 (talk) 20:22, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

It's in the Guardian now as well.[6]

Yep, in the Guardian[7] and Reuters. --Malcolmxl5 (talk) 20:31, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I agree. If TMZ, CBS News, and The Guardian have all announced his death, then I think it's pretty safe to say that he's dead. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.156.145.198 (talk) 00:50, 3 October 2017 (UTC) Just a quick update: Tom Petty is currently alive. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.156.145.198 (talk) 01:25, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Close paraphrasing

"Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page" ...? Martinevans123 (talk) 20:22, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Ad Orientem: [8]? – Muboshgu (talk) 20:34, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Oh $%^&! I really need to pay closer attention. That tag was added in error. I must have clicked the box by mistake. -Ad Orientem (talk) 20:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Nominated at ITN

-Ad Orientem (talk) 20:27, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (15)

Date of death: October 2, 2017 70.60.98.70 (talk) 20:30, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Already done – Muboshgu (talk) 20:30, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

TMZ updated report with claim that Tom Petty has not technically died yet

http://www.tmz.com/2017/10/02/tom-petty-found-unconscious-full-cardiac-arrest/

"1:35 PM PT -- Sources tell us at 10:30 Monday morning a chaplain was called to Tom's hospital room. We're told the family has a do not resuscitate order on Tom. The singer is not expected to live throughout the day, but he's still clinging to life. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer's death is inaccurate -- the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. handled the emergency."

This is pretty sad... it looks like he's going to die anyway, but they're saying he's technically still alive. 98.7.34.119 (talk) 21:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

That source says "12:30 PM PT -- We're told after Petty got to the hospital he had no brain activity and a decision was made to pull life support." Martinevans123 (talk) 20:55, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, but the later update at 1:35 PM PT claims that the earlier report was inaccurate. See also: https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/914953557614268416 98.7.34.119 (talk) 21:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

How does PT relate to UTC? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Martinevans123: It looks like Pacific Time Zone is 7 hours behind UTC. 98.7.34.119 (talk) 21:08, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Is there a conflicting reports tag? --The lorax (talk) 21:04, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

TMZ is a tabloid and not reliable. Reliable sources, which are cited within the article, confirm the death of Petty. livelikemusic talk! 21:07, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Livelikemusic: That's fair, though this tweet from the LAPD has added to the confusion: https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/914956939443920897 98.7.34.119 (talk) 21:12, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Livelikemusic: Also want to add that CBS is walking back their claim: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lapd-clarifies-cannot-confirm-tom-petty-death/ 98.7.34.119 (talk) 21:14, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

This is why it should be rewritten that he was hospitalized and nothing more. --Jennica✿ / ^talk 21:15, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (16)

Death October 02, 2017 192.158.48.162 (talk) 20:58, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Already done - FlightTime (open channel) 20:59, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Petty may not be dead.

CBS has tweeted that the LAPD does not confirm reports of Petty's death. What to do re: the article? PaulCHebert (talk) 21:14, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

CBS retracts death claim

CBS has officially retracted its death claim for Tom Petty, therefore we can no longer claim he is dead in the article — Crumpled Fire • contribs • 21:16, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I was about to point out the same, but kept getting edit-conflicted into oblivion. Bearcat (talk) 21:18, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Crumpled Fire: Can you stop citing TMZ? They are not reliable. Also, linking in an edit summary is not acceptable as "citing" information, per Wikipedia policy. livelikemusic talk! 21:21, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I never "cited" TMZ except to say that they had also retracted their report, which was secondary to my point that CBS had done so; adding the mention of TMZ was relevant because CBS' own report was at the very least partially based on TMZ's — Crumpled Fire • contribs • 21:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

CBS' initial confirmation came from LAPD, which they later admitted they got false confirmation on. TMZ should not be mentioned, period. Mentioning, regardless of source or in edit summary, is unacceptable and should be avoided at all cost. livelikemusic talk! 21:30, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Interesting development on this front, the LAPD now deny ever having confirmed this with CBS, which potentially doesn't speak well to CBS' journalistic integrity. — Crumpled Fire • contribs • 22:58, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (17)

add that he died Tonerjoe1997 (talk) 21:23, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime (open channel) 21:24, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Tonerjoe, the sources that were reporting his death have been retracting their reports. His death has not been confirmed as of right now. Bearcat (talk) 21:25, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

He has in fact died. Just released: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/tom-petty-dead-66-cardiac-arrest-report-article-1.3536756 --Figfires (talk) 22:14, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Question

Would anybody object if I put this under admin-only protection for a couple of hours to put a lid on the constant stream of reversions and unreversions until we've got a clearer picture of what the hell's going on? Bearcat (talk) 21:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

That and the talk page, I'm afraid. Within minutes of CBS' claims, there were multiple requests for change. This is an out of control situation that has to be controlled at this point. livelikemusic talk! 21:30, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I think it should be done. --Jennica✿ / ^talk 21:32, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I don't see any valid reason to admin-protect the talk page, but I'd have no objections to this being done to the article page. — Crumpled Fire • contribs • 21:33, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Fine by me. I think I'm going to duck out of this article and come back to it later. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 21:34, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

• Okay, thanks. I've done so, although I left the expiry time the same as the one on the semi. We can renew it if the problem is still in force after the current protection expires, but for now I didn't want to push it. As well, I've added a properly referenced statement to the introduction to the effect that the death reports have been retracted. I agree, however, that talk page protection should be reserved only for extreme situations of a type that this hasn't reached yet. Bearcat (talk) 21:36, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

  Seems good. I don't think we were wrong to update our own article at the time to say he'd died, with the weight of sources already reporting it as such, but now that it's back in doubt again, let's leave protection in until things have settled down.  — Amakuru (talk) 22:01, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that we were wrong to act at the time either — but this went into full-on farce the moment the LAPD retracted the initial statement. Bearcat (talk) 22:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

• Update: I think I misjudged a bit when deciding to leave the protection at the original expiry time. I measured the time of 22:50 against my time, when that's still five hours away, instead of UTC, when it's just 45 minutes away now. I think I'm going to have to bump it up a few more hours, however, because with death edit requests still happening I'm not confident that the situation has been resolved enough yet. Bearcat (talk) 22:06, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I think it would not have hurt everyone to wait until they were absolutely and totally utterly sure, given that WP:NOTNEWS is policy. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 22:08, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (18)

Add death date and information on bio summary. Eel 52 (talk) 21:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

 Not done Pay attention. The death reports have been retracted, and the article even says so already. Bearcat (talk) 21:40, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (19)

tom petty died today, have some fucking respect and change it!!!! 70.184.106.118 (talk) 21:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime (open channel) 21:41, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

What part of THE DEATH REPORTS HAVE BEEN RETRACTED are you having difficulty understanding? At any rate, it is not disrespectful for Wikipedia to wait a bit before reporting such things — it's much more important in these situations for us to get it right than it is for us to get it quick, and what happened with the Tom Petty death reports getting issued and then retracted today is exactly the reason why that's true. Bearcat (talk) 21:43, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (20)

Death date 2 October 2017 125.239.187.155 (talk) 21:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime (open channel) 21:41, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

What part of THE DEATH REPORTS HAVE BEEN RETRACTED are you having difficulty understanding? Bearcat (talk) 21:43, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Most of it obviously. I have put a note at the top of the talk page, and an edit notice that you can now see above this edit window, to ram the point home. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 21:44, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Ritchie333: Maybe you can add it to the article view source page, too? That way, they'll see it before they click the edit request button. — Gestrid (talk) 21:48, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Can't hurt, I guess. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 21:51, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (21)

72.140.116.70 (talk) 21:56, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Tom Petty passed away in hospital October 2, 2017 following a heart attack at his home in Malibu, he was 66.

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime (open channel) 21:58, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Please pay attention 72.140.116.70. The death reports have been retracted. theinstantmatrix (talk) 22:00, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

72.140.116.70, with the best will in the world, if I stuck you in a room with a button that said "DO NOT PRESS" and a sign on the wall saying "DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON", what would you do? Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 22:15, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Uncited claims about first marriage

Someone irresponsibly removed the only cited dates the article contained for Petty's first marriage, which were the years 1974-1996. There currently are not cites for the claims of specific dates, representing a clear WP:BLP. I also don't understand the removal of his parents' names. Both the years and the parents' names were cited to the WP:RS source "Tom Petty: Music Producer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Singer (1950–2017) Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). --Tenebrae (talk) 21:58, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Looks like it happened accidentally during the back and forth edits regarding his death/non-death. I'll add them back in, I can't imagine that's controversial. --Floquenbeam (talk) 22:08, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Much appreciated. Also, the "Edge of Seventeen" claim under Personal life needs "," which also got removed. Thanks, Floquenbeam! --Tenebrae (talk) 22:12, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Ugh. I'll try to do that too before I go, but this edit by UserAlaskaNativeRU actually removed a whole lot of stuff (which look to me like improvements) unrelated to the death/no-death frenzy; I'm fairly sure by accident. Because of the intervening edits (and the full protection) I can't just revert back. And I have run out of editing time today. Any admin want to take on the thankless task of re-adding the non-controversial stuff? Otherwise we'll have to wait for full protection to expire. --Floquenbeam (talk) 22:17, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Sorry, I messed up the ping for User:AlaskanNativeRU the first time. --Floquenbeam (talk) 22:18, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I think most of it got restored aside from one sentence, which I've put back - the remainder is just template fiddling and minor copyedits. Ritchie333 ^{(talk) (cont)} 22:29, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

death 'not confirmed"

All-too-common idiocy to include this. It will be accurate and relevant for about an hour. As of Wikipedia were a news channel. Badiacrushed (talk) 22:13, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Yeah, start changing all the "was" back to "is" - let's not jump the gun.

Confirmation of death by Bob Dylan

According to the Guardian, it seems that Petty's former bandmate Bob Dylan has confirmed Petty's death to Rolling Stone: [9]. --79.242.203.134 (talk) 22:15, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

He was most likely reacting to the news stories, there still doesn't make it official. --Jennica✿ / ^talk 22:18, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Nothing about Dylan's comment in that article suggests that he has any more "insider" information about the matter than the media do. He's plainly reacting to the news story, rather than giving out information gleaned from having been there personally. Bearcat (talk) 22:21, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Exactly that.  — Amakuru (talk) 22:22, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

While not entirely sure how reliable, Petty's own daughter — through an unverified social media account — is stating her father is not dead, "yet." We all know how social media is around Wikipedia, and I'm not one who normally brings it up, but given how shaky details have become, I figured it'd be worth a slight mention in the least. livelikemusic talk! 23:10, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

The Guardian now say, "Tom Petty seriously ill in hospital after suspected heart attack, reports say and that "Initial claims of rock star’s death are retracted after LAPD apologizes for ‘inadvertently provided’ information that suggested he had passed away". --Malcolmxl5 (talk) 00:46, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Section suggestion

Would it not be an idea to put this under a 'Reports of death' subheading, until it is confirmed either way? G-13114 (talk) 22:28, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Seems kind of pointless. He's in critical condition and on a DNR, it's unlikely he'll live through the night anyway. 208.102.4.214 (talk) 22:30, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Thank you, Doctor 208.102.4.214, for your diagnosis. Ref ^(chew)(do) 22:35, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

It's certainly possible (maybe even probable) that he'll be dead soon, but it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that had ever happened (or even the weirdest thing that's happened in 2017) if he somehow survived and recovered — and even if he does die, it could be several days still (Carrie Fisher hung on for four full days, for example). So unless you're a doctor who's personally examined him within the past few hours, let's wait until there's confirmation rather than speculating. Bearcat (talk) 22:43, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I'm not editing the article, so I don't see that it makes any kind of difference. 208.102.4.214 (talk) 22:56, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Talk pages aren't meant for discussion of our personal opinions or amateur medical diagnoses of the article subject, either. Bearcat (talk) 23:00, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

G-13114 asked whether it would make sense to add a subheading for a developing story that would become irrelevant one way or the other as the story broke, and I answered it wouldn't. It would take a Wikipedia bureacrat to read that to mean that I was trying to offer a prognosis. 208.102.4.214 (talk) 23:17, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

• Nothing shall be added until it is confirmed reliably. The article mentions his condition as unknown - that is where it should stay, as I certainly don't know, you don't know, and my handy crystal ball is in for maintenance this week. - Floydian ^τ _¢ 23:22, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

REQUEST: Remove "death" from 1991-present paragraph

Could an admin please remove "death" from the last paragraph in the 1991-present section? Thanks! GoingBatty (talk) 22:37, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

• Done. Bearcat (talk) 22:41, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Change: Heart attack happened Sunday night, Oct. 1, not Oct. 2

Most reports indicate he was found unresponsive 10:45 p.m. on Sunday night. A minor detail that will be resolved/made unnecessary as the day goes on, I'm sure. ScottFromWyoming (talk) 22:50, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Source? Especially for the claim that he had a heart attack, I haven't seen that anywhere. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:182:CC03:5799:BC7C:446F:8DD3:EDA (talk) 23:03, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

I'll grant that cardiac arrest and heart attack aren't strictly quite the same thing in a medical sense (a heart attack being one of a few different types of cardiac arrest rather than the only kind), but they're used interchangeably in common speech. So as long as the article body doesn't muddle the terms beyond what can be sourced, it's not worth quibbling over which term somebody uses on the talk page. Bearcat (talk) 23:10, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Admin Request: Change "was" to "is" in lead paragraph, second sentence

Can an admin please change those few missed instances of "was" to "is" in the lede intro? And perhaps, if you deem it appropriate, separate the bit at the end of the lede about reports of his death into a third intro paragraph for easier visibility? — Crumpled Fire • contribs • 22:51, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

• Done. Bearcat (talk) 22:59, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 2 October 2017 (22)

Pettty was found unconscious following the cardiac arrest on October 1, NOT October 2. The public statements regarding his condition began to circulate on October 2. Nightscream (talk) 23:07, 2 October 2017 (UTC) Nightscream (talk) 23:07, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime (open channel) 23:10, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Done. The existing CBS "LAPD clarifies it cannot confirm Tom Petty's death" reference does confirm that he was found on Sunday night. Bearcat (talk) 23:13, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Living Confirmation

Though already noted, Tom Petty's daughter confirms her father is still alive, but stated he is "yet" to die. Source here -> [10]. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 23:25, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

Current Event Template added: 2017-10-02

Added the Current Event template to the article - please remove once life/death status has been confirmed by reliable sources. - Davodd (talk) 23:38, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

@Davodd:@Ritchie333: Looks like he has been taken off of life support (as earlier reports said), but that he is still hanging on, though not expected to survive[11]. We will just have to wait and see if he pulls through. Good call reverted the past tense etc though as he is still alive - albeit (reportedly) barely --TheSandDoctor (talk) 01:18, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

According to the topic right above this one (courtesy TDKR Chicago 101), his daughter has confirmed on Instagram that he isn't dead. — Gestrid (talk) 01:24, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

See also....

Schroedinger's cat. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.21.88.44 (talk) 00:15, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Well played! Bearcat (talk) 00:20, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 3 October 2017 (1)

Sources say he is currently terminally ill and not dead.

What sources? Adam9007 (talk) 00:37, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

And even if sources were provided, what change would need to be made to the article as a result of them? Bearcat (talk) 00:44, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

This is not an edit request, it's a question. - FlightTime (open channel) 00:47, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 3 October 2017 (2)

173.89.76.136 (talk) 00:41, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Why would we do this? Bearcat (talk) 00:43, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Template

Shouldn't the {{refimprove}} tag be {{BLP sources}}? Adam9007 (talk) 00:47, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 3 October 2017 (3)

In the section 'Personal Life', the second sentence is missing a citation. I would like to change:

Benyo disclosed to Stevie Nicks that she met Petty at "the age of seventeen." Nicks misheard Benyo, leading to Nicks' song "Edge of Seventeen".

to

Benyo disclosed to Stevie Nicks that she met Petty at "the age of seventeen." Nicks misheard Benyo, leading to Nicks' song "Edge of Seventeen".

– jfsamper ^{(talk•contrib•email)} 01:12, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

References

•  Not done Not a reliable source. Bearcat (talk) 01:43, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

False claims of death on Wikipedia

I am wondering if this might be a good time for senior Wikipedia editors and admins to comment on what exactly happened today. Alternatively, we could have some kind of round table public discussion. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.156.145.198 (talk) 01:38, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

There's not much for us to comment about. This didn't start out as our error; we just got caught in a crosscurrent of conflicting media reports, and once administrators showed up the Wikipedia process ended up working exactly the way it's supposed to: a lid got thrown on the editwarring, and the article got repaired. If there's anybody who needs to smack themselves right now for all of this, it's CBS and the LAPD, not Wikipedia. Bearcat (talk) 01:46, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Well said. --MZMcBride (talk) 01:59, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 3 October 2017 (4)

Tom Petty died today. 192.232.166.215 (talk) 02:32, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

•  Not done SMH! Bearcat (talk) 02:39, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

@Bearcat: If it's helpful, here's an article from Billboard about the confusion. EvergreenFir (talk) 02:40, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

I know. We all know. The point isn't that I was surprised by the claim; it's that both the article and the responses to the prior edit requests on this talk page, and the big "notice to all those wanting to add that Tom Petty has died" editnotice at the top of the edit window, already address the fact that he isn't dead yet — so the only way a person could still be making this request now is if they're not paying attention to their own surroundings. Bearcat (talk) 02:45, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

And this is why...

...mainstream news and Wikipedia are crap. Tons of people now think it's absolutely confirmed that he died because CBS couldn't wait to get the unconfirmed news out and Wikipedia editors couldn't wait to add his alleged death to the article. 69.34.48.242 (talk) 02:40, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Okay, but this isn't the place to complain about it. This page is for improving the article. EvergreenFir (talk) 02:43, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

I am improving things -- attempting to -- by raising awareness about this idiotic "We gotta be the first to report this event!"/"I gotta be the first to add this edit!" mentality. 69.34.48.242 (talk) 02:49, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Wikipedia carries exactly no blame in any of this. It's not our job to be investigative journalists who independently reverify whether any given news story is right or wrong; CBS and the LAPD fucked up and that's on them, the end. Bearcat (talk) 02:45, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Yes, it actually does carry a lot of blame. Many people undoubtedly still believe he's dead because of Wikipedia. 69.34.48.242 (talk) 02:49, 3 October 2017 (UTC)