Dana York Age, Bio, Kids, Other Facts About Tom Petty’s Wife
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Dana York is best known to the media as the widow of the late rock and roll legend Tom Petty. After the tragic death of the musician on October 2, 2017, she was deeply moved into the limelight. She was reportedly the one who triggered the emergency call after Petty suffered a heart attack that eventually led to his death, which was later discovered by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner as being caused by mixed drug toxicity. Here are the facts you should know about the woman Petty spent his last years with.

Dana York Bio (Age)

Dana York Epperson was born in 1964 in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in Genessee County, Michigan. Her mother lives in Fenton, Michigan. Almost everything that is known about Dana York dates back to the time after her marriage to superstar rocker Tom Petty, and this is because Dana York, unlike her late husband, was an ordinary person who lived in Michigan like any other average American.

Before her relationship with Petty began, Dana York worked in education. She attended Flushing High School in Michigan and graduated in 1982. Her career in education includes a period as principal of University High School in Ferndale, Michigan. However, at the beginning of her relationship with Tom Petty, Dana had to quit her job in education and began working in Petty’s band, helping them plan their tours.

Dana York Age, Bio, Kids, Other Facts About Tom Petty’s Wife
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Before Petty came into the picture, York was married to someone else. When she first met Petty at a concert in Texas in 1991, she was still married to her first husband. Petty was also still married to his first wife, Jane Benyo.

However, the relationship between Petty and his wife began to get sour and the two eventually became drug addicts, further straining their relationship and culminating in their divorce, which was finalized on September 9, 1996, and marked the end of a marriage that lasted for more than two decades. Coincidentally, York also had problems with her first husband, and the two divorced in 1996, the same year.

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That same year, York reconnected with Petty, and although they had just experienced heartbreak from their previous relationships, they fell in love immediately and began a romantic relationship. York and Petty dated for 6 years before they met on June 3, 2001, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas and formed their bond for life. The wedding was a private wedding attended only by close family members and friends. A post-wedding celebration was held at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Vegas.

Had Petty not married to York, he would probably have died earlier than drug addiction. During the first years they were together, York didn’t know about Petty’s addiction problems because he kept it from her. However, she eventually got to know him and eventually helped the musician get the help he needed.

Tom Petty came to openly acknowledge to his wife Dana that she had saved him from drug addiction.

Her Kids

Dana York Age, Bio, Kids, Other Facts About Tom Petty’s Wife
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Dana York and Tom Petty could never really father babies together, but each of the lovers had had children before they started their relationship. Dana York has a son named Dylan from her previous marriage. When Petty was alive, Dylan, whom he adopted, was occasionally seen with both him and his mother Dana.

After her marriage to Petty, Dana York became the stepmother of Petty’s children from his previous marriage. The children are daughters – Adria and AnnaKim Violette. Both children have inherited their father’s artistic genes. Adria is doing well as a film and music video director. She has directed the music videos of top stars like Coldplay and Beyonce. Annakim on the other hand is doing well as a fashion designer as well as an artist.

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Other Facts About Tom Petty’s Wife

  • Dana York’s own father also struggled with drug abuse, and her experience with him helped her get Petty out of drug addiction.
  • York and Petty even married twice. Their first wedding, which took place in Vegas on Petty’s word to PEOPLE, served only to clarify the legal side of things. The couple got married a few weeks after the first in a larger ceremony that took place at their home in Malibu. Popstar Little Richard presided over the ceremony.
  • After waiting for the ambulance that arrived after Petty’s fainting, York performed CPR to revive her husband.
  • Dana helped Petty restore his relationship with his daughters.