Warren Zanes


Warren Zanes is an American musician and writer who has been known as guitarist for The Del Fuegos, a solo artist, and the authorized biographer of Tom Petty. A Ph.D in Visual and Cultural Studies, Zanes has taught at various universities, is a former vice president of education and public projects for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and the former executive director of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation.
=Writing=
Zanes's 2003 book Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis about Dusty Springfield's 1969 album Dusty in Memphis was published by Bloomsbury as part of their 33 1/3 series of books on classic albums. Tom Petty read the book on Dusty in Memphis twice and invited Zanes to dinner; the book would later inspire Petty to write the song "Down South" from his 2006 album Highway Companion. Zanes interviewed Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Jeff Lynne, George Martin, and Klaus Voorman for Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary on George Harrison, .
Zanes's authorized biography of Petty, Petty: The Biography, was published in 2015.