Bentley covers Petrty on "American Girl,' tribute disc coming

The bluegrass-tinged track, which officially impacts country radio today via Big Machine Records/The Valory Music Co.), is from the forthcoming Tom Petty tribute album, "Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty."

The disc will be put out by Big Machine Records in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate. The release will feature country and Americana artists. No release date, artists participating or songs included were disclosed.

Bentley said, "Petty's southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling. He might not have ever been considered as country, but you can't go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song. It is one of the greatest songs in a life's work of great American songs. The spirit of this woman, the idea of such relentless hope – and disappointment – ignites such a spark. (Producer) Jon Randall and I were driven to make that feeling of American roots stand tall."

Bentley's recording includes banjo, fiddles, organ and mandolin. The players were Chad Cromwell on drums, Craig Young on bass, Rob McNelley and Randall on electric guitars, as well as Jimmy Wallace on piano and B-3. They also drafted Noam Pikelny on banjo, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin, and Chris Eldridge on acoustic guitar.