In the wake of the backlash against the Confederate battle flag, Tom Petty, who was born and raised in Florida, said that he now regrets using that symbol during concerts in the ‘80s. The rocker called using the symbol, which represents hate to so many, “downright stupid.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Petty said he regretted using the Confederate flag during his 1985 tour for the album Southern Accents.
“The Confederate flag was the wallpaper of the South when I was a kid growing up in Gainesville, Florida,” Petty recalled. “I always knew it had to do with the Civil War, but the South had adopted it as its logo. I was pretty ignorant of what it actually meant. It was on a flagpole in front of the courthouse and I often saw it in Western movies. I just honestly didn't give it much thought, though I should have.”
Petty said that the album was meant to be a concept album about the South and while that idea didn’t come to full fruition, he still used the Confederate flag when he sang the song “Rebels” from the album. “I just let it go, but the Confederate flag became part of the marketing for the tour,” he said. “I wish I had given it more thought. It was a downright stupid thing to do.”
The “Free Fallin’” singer said that, even at the time, he regretted it because he would see fans attend his concerts with Confederate flag bandanas and other things with the symbol. He grew so tired of it that he told the crowd during one show that the flag has nothing to do with him and The Heartbreakers and asked people to stop wearing it.
Petty believes that removing the flag from the South Carolina Capitol grounds was the right move.
“That flag shouldn't have any part in our government. It shouldn't represent us in any way,” Petty said. “The war is over. You know, it's a bit ironic: It's the only time that I know of where we defeated a country in a war and then flew their flag. But Americans were on both sides of the issues. I'm sure some people still carry it to their graves.”
Petty’s comments came after Detroit-native Kid Rock told protesters who don’t like him using the flag to “kiss my ass.”
“Isn't Kid Rock from the Midwest?" Petty told Rolling Stone. "I think they were on the other side of the Civil War.”
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