LOS ANGELES - Tom Petty's family and friends bid farewell to the rocker at a service in a California spiritual retreat, where his friend George Harrison's funeral took place 16 years ago.

One of Petty's daughter posted pictures of Tuesday's private memorial event and of the lotus-shaped archway to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, near the Pacific coast in Los Angeles County.

Petty, who died a week earlier at age 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest, in his later years practiced transcendental meditation, seeing a way to control anger after earlier abusing heroin and other drugs.

Daughter AnnaKim Violette Petty shared a series of images on Instagram including one of a small bouquet of flowers with the words, "You belong somewhere you feel free," a line from Petty's song "Wildflowers."

Petty's representatives did not immediately comment on whether there would be an additional public event or a permanent marker for his remains.

The Florida-born rocker - whose string of hits included "I Won't Back Down, "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl" - died days after completing a tour to mark 40 years with his band The Heartbreakers. - AFP