Personal Life
His first marriage, to Jane Benyo, lasted 22 years from March 31, 1974 to September 9, 1996. He spent most of those years working, on the road or in the studio. Petty and Benyo have two daughters; Adria is a film director and Kimberly Violette is an artist. Since June 3, 2001 he has been married to Dana York, whom he first met in 1993 when she visited one of his concerts. Petty has a stepson from York's first marriage named Dylan.
On May 17, 1987, an arsonist set fire to Petty's house in Encino, California. Firefighters were able to salvage the basement recording studio and the original tapes stored there, as well as his Gibson Dove acoustic guitar. His signature gray top hat, however, was destroyed. Petty later rebuilt the house with fireproof materials.
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