His parents made him take lessons before they bought him a kit, and he recalls with a laugh, "as soon as I got my first set they took up tennis—they just split, and I don't blame them.

Lynch moved to Los Angeles, and hooked up again with Blair, during a recording session set up by Benmont Tench in 1976.

[4] Petty had come out to Los Angeles with his band Mudcrutch, which Tench and Campbell were originally a part of, and had a recording contract.

But once in Los Angeles the producers decided they were not keen on the rest of the band, so it broke up, leaving Petty basically a solo act—something he was not happy about.

For his part, Lynch felt that he had just begun to play well on the band's fourth and fifth albums, Hard Promises and Long After Dark.

As Lynch's ability increased, so did the offers to play with other artists, creating experience that covers a wide variety of musical territory.

After increased tensions, Lynch left the group in 1994, with his last Heartbreakers gig occurring on October 2, 1994, at the Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, California.

After his departure, Lynch moved back to Florida, where he partnered with longtime friend Don Henley to help put together the Eagles' reunion album Hell Freezes Over.

Acts Lynch has produced include The Band, the Eagles, Don Henley, Jackopierce, Joe 90, Scotty Moore, and Sister Hazel.

As a songwriter, he has co-written with or written for numerous acts, including Matraca Berg, Meredith Brooks, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Jeff Healey Band, James House, June Pointer, Eddie Money, Toto, Tora Tora, Sister Hazel, Ringo Starr, Don Henley and the Mavericks.

Tim McGraw recorded "Back When", a song Lynch wrote with Stephony Smith and Jeff Stevens, for his album Live Like You Were Dying.

Lynch reunited with his former bandmates in 2002 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, playing "American Girl" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance".

[5] Lynch was involved in a five-year relationship with actress Louise "Wish" Foley whom he met while he and the rest of the band were on set shooting a production for the Tom Petty song "Don't Come Around Here No More".