Rocker Tom Petty dead after cardiac arrest

Rocker Tom Petty has been confirmed dead by his manager after he was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest on Monday, reports Reuters. He was 66.

Media organisations had reported his demise earlier today, only to be vehemently denied by his daughter on Instagram, AFP reports. However, has manager has now confirmed that the 'Free Fallin'' singer has passed away.

“We are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty,” Dimitriades said on behalf of the family. He died peacefully, surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.

TMZ, the Los Angeles celebrity news site known for its scoops, first broke the story with news that Petty had been found unconscious at his home in Malibu on Sunday night.

TMZ later reported that he had been taken off life support. CBS television, quoting an unnamed police source, soon afterward said definitively that the rocker had died.

But the Los Angeles Police Department denied it was the source of the information. Writing on Twitter, the department said that "initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources."

"We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting," it tweeted.

Tom Petty -- whose hits also include 'American Girl,' 'Don't Come Around Here No More' and 'Free Fallin'' -- just last week had wrapped up a tour to mark 40 years of his band the Heartbreakers.

Born in Gainesville, Florida, Petty has infused his brand of rock 'n' roll with Southern influences and a dark lyrical sense, with songs of small-town Americans striving but facing roadblocks.