There may be no more appropriate day for me to wrap up my journey with Mike Campbell's "Heartbreaker: A Memoir" than the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's 75th birthday.

The longtime lead guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers has crafted a heartbreaker of a memoir, a book destined to be among the year-end lists of best memoirs with practically everything you could possibly want from a rock & roll memoir.

Campbell was with Petty the entire way from the band's inception in 1976 through Petty's tragic death at age 66 in 2017. While Petty was always front-and center, Campbell's memorable melody making helped develop and form the foundation for the band's instantly recognizable sound on classics such as "American Girl," "Breakdown," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "Into the Great Wide Open" and others. Campbell often provided the music that served as a perfect companion to Petty's lyrics including songs like "Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," "You Got Lucky," and "Runnin' Down a Dream" among others.

If there's one thing that surprised me about "Heartbreaker," it's that Campbell writes with tremendous vulnerability about everything from his early childhood with a single mother struggling in minimum wage jobs in Jacksonville, Florida through the unexpected gift he received from that same mother of a $15 pawn shop guitar for his 16th birthday through the early days with Mudcrutch that would serve as the foundation for what would become a Petty-centered Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Campbell writes with respectful candor, his clear-eyed vulnerability recalling his extreme lows, glorious highs, and everything in-between.

Sure, we get some of the music icon storytelling including experiences with such artists as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, and a host of others. These stories are a delight and will practically have you imagining them directly in front of you as Campbell reflects on recording sessions, friendships, producing and more.

Campbell, who has been married to longtime wife Marcie since the early days of the band, recounts his own struggles with drugs and how he eventually pulled out while many of his peers did not. He tells the story of his bandmates with respect and affection, offering up explanations of sorts for how things changes and why personnel would come and go. It's clear he embraces those, especially longtime drummer Stan Lynch whose post Petty life seems to have affirmed his immense talent in a way he never really received while with the band.

Throughout "Heartbreaker," Campbell writes with such a warmth and honesty that you can't help but immerse yourself in his writing. There was the chance encounter with a high school guidance counselor that ended up inspiring him, very unexpectedly, to enroll in the University of Florida. This, in turn, led to his initial meeting with Petty and a lifelong musical journey.

I keep going back to the vulnerability in "Heartbreak," but it's truly remarkable. Campbell writes honestly about the mixed emotions and desire for "more" that served as a frequent companion as Petty was often deemed the genius while Campbell was part of the "band." Perfectly balancing that desire for more with a gratitude for what was, Campbell perfectly peels back the curtains on what it feels like to be part of an iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band. He writes with an almost schoolboy enthusiasm about his experiences with Dylan, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, meeting Johnny Cash, finding his voice with Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, and encounters we knew about and encounters we didn't.

Notoriously soft-spoken, it's almost remarkable that Campbell has even offered up this memoir. You can't help but think he believed Petty would always be the one to do so. However, "Heartbreaker: A Memoir" is a sublime experience offering impossible to forget insights on Campbell and the band's triumphs, tragedies, relationships, recording, and so much more.

Again, "Heartbreaker," at least for me, is easily one of my favorite musical bios of all-time with an honest, vulnerability, air of confidence, and sense of awe that grabbed me and never let me go. It's heartfelt and exhilarating as we really learn how music saved this throwaway kid and his this immensely talented musician and songwriter lived his life in music through his music, talent, genuine friendships, more than a little luck, and songs we'll likely never forget.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book prior to the publish date. Initially, I wasn’t sure what to think of the start of this autobiography. While, it was detailed well written, I didn’t find myself flying through it. I suspect some of this is because I have started going the audio route with many memoirs in autobiographies, and perhaps I was in a bit of a reading lull. That all changed when I got about 40% of the way through the book. I flew through the back half in about four days. This was a fantastic read! While, I have a lot of respect for Mike Campbell prior to reading this book, I didn’t know much about his life or work outside of the Dirty Knobs and The Heartbreakers. I did manage to see him play both with Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac, but learned so much more about songwriting collaborations he was part of, music and musicians he has loved, and the people that he has spent time with. This was an excellent read, and if Mike does the audio version himself, I would be happy to listen to him narrate his life. This is a book I would consider re-reading. I give very few 5 stars, but this book has made that list.

very well written memoir about someone who's played a role in a lot of interesting musical events, mainly as the long-time guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and then later briefly in Fleetwood Mac and solo. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is one of the best rock'n'roll memoirs I have read, and I've read a lot. Mike Campbell strikes the perfect balance between musical details, the creation of songs and albums, and personal history of himself and his fellow band members. Interspersed in this thoroughly engaging biography are heartfelt stories of working with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and so many more. This is a must read for fans of rock'n'roll, and especially Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker fans! Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

I knew Mike Campbell was a brilliant writer of music, but with Heartbreaker he shows himself to be able to write a very engaging story. The book is peppered with stories about Tom Petty as well as the members of the Heartbreakers. There are also great stories about Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and so many others. If you're a rock fan, there is a lot of good stuff to dig through.

I received a free e-galley of the book in return for an honest review.

There are many very flawed rocker autobiographies out there: some with an axe to grind, some desperate for attention again after flame fled, some with an agenda, and others just to name check everyone they have ever worked with in the past. This is not one of those. Campbell writes an engaging, heartfelt, honest, and very poignant memoir of both his own history and that with the four decades spent playing/writing with Tom Petty. This is definitely an autobiography that deserves to be read.

The book is chronological, told with a pathos and quiet humility throughout. At its crux, it is yet another story of how a bandmate gets screwed in the music industry: always by the label and their lawyers but in this case, by his own bandmate as well. Yet despite all the ways that Tom Petty managed to take from his bandmates and treat them poorly, there is always a thread of gratitude and recognition that they would have none of what they do today without Petty. There isn't any harsh criticism of Petty despite that; rather, Campbell tells what happened with good clarity. You can tell that that is his nature rather than a false humility.

Along with the story of how a lot of the songs/albums were created as the lead guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, we also get an understanding of the band's original incarnation as mudcrutch and how/why it turned into a Tom Petty project. There are also great stories of the people Campbell's met and played with - from Bob Dylanm Stevie Knicks, Jeff Lynne, Carl Wilson, to George Harrison. Throughout it all, he marvels that he could meet those luminaries who inspired him and taught him throughout his career.

Also important is that he gives honest views of the bandmates and how they handled Petty's control issues. It is clear that Campbell has had nothing but respect for his bandmates and always played the quiet appeaser when interpersonal issues arose. Especially when Petty decided to change the split of royalties and proceeds in favor of himself. Campbell stood by throughout along with fellow bandmates Stan and Benmont, all due to their respect for Petty's creativity and presence.

In all, this really is a beautiful read. One of the best autobiographies for its candor, self reflection, honest assessments, and humility. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.