MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
MR.BIG
EARLY FORMED
start of the journey
After bassist Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's backing band in 1988, he began piecing together a new band with the help of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, a label specialized in the shredding genre. Sheehan started by recruiting vocalist Eric Martin, a Capitol Records solo artist who Sheehan had become aware of after hearing the track 'I Can't Stop the Fire', which Martin had recorded with Neal Schon for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Teachers
Sheehan had originally intended to complete the band with guitarist Steve Stevens and drummer Gregg Bissonette (who Sheehan had played with in Roth's backing band), but this fell apart when Stevens opted to pursue his Atomic Playboys project and Bissonette decided to stay with Roth. Soon after, guitarist Paul Gilbert of the Los Angeles-based heavy metal band Racer X joined the band on Sheehan's invitation.
Several drummers were auditioned before Pat Torpey formally completed the line-up. Torpey, a journeyman session drummer, had previously recorded and toured with a number of high-profile artists, including Impellitteri, Stan Bush, Marilyn Martin, Belinda Carlisle, Ted Nugent, The Knack, and Jeff Paris (who would later collaborate with Mr. Big in a songwriting capacity).
However, internal conflicts and differing musical directions led to the band's disbandment in 2002. They reunited in 2009 and have since released several albums and toured globally.
Mr.Big is also known for their instrumental skills, particularly Billy Sheehan's bass solos and Paul Gilbert's guitar techniques. Their music combines hard rock and blues, with strong melodies and harmonies.
ROCK
ALTERNATIVE ROCK
HARD ROCK
BLUES
GLAM METAL
MEMBERS
MR.BIG
Eric Martin - October 10, 1960
vocal
Eric Martin continues to perform as the lead vocalist for Mr. Big. He also released several solo albums and participated in various projects, including Eric Martin Band and Avantasia
Paul Gilbert - November 6, 1966
guitar
Paul Gilbert left Mr. Big in 1997 to pursue a solo career. He has since released numerous solo albums and also played with various bands and projects, such as Racer X and Yellow Matter Custard.
Billy Sheehan - March 19, 1953
bassist
Billy Sheehan, known for his exceptional bass skills, left Mr. Big in 2002 due to internal conflicts. He formed a new band, Niacin, and later joined the Winery Dogs. He also collaborated with many artists, including Steve Vai and David Lee Roth
Pat Torpey - December 13, 1953 – February 7, 2018
drummer
Pat Torpey remained with Mr. Big until his death in 2018 from complications of Parkinson's disease. During his time with Mr. Big, he also worked with other artists and bands, including Robert Plant and the Winery Dogs
Nick d' Virgilio - December 13, 1953 – February 7, 2018
drummer
In March 2023, it was announced that Nick D'Virgilio would be joining Mr. Big as touring drummer for the 2023-2024 'The Big Finish Tour'
FORMER MEMBER
Richie Kotzen - February 3, 1970
guitar
Guitarist Paul Gilbert departed the band in 1999, and Richie Kotzen was brought on as a guitarist and vocalist. The band released two more albums with this line-up: Get Over It (1999) and Actual Size (2001). Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.
Matt Starr - December 13, 1953 – February 7, 2018
drummer
Matt Starr joined Mr. Big as a touring drummer in 2014, following Pat Torpey's diagnosis with Parkinson's disease. He has also worked with various artists, including Ace Frehley and Mr. Big's Eric Martin
ALBUM
studio
MR.BIG
Lean into it
Bump ahead
Hey man
Get over it
Actual size
What if
The stories we could tell
Defying gravity
Ten
MR.BIG
Lean into it
Bump ahead
Hey man
Get over it
Actual size
What if
The stories we could tell
Defying gravity
Ten
AWARDS
achievment
- 1990:
Mr. Big won the 'Best New Band' award from Metal Edge magazine.
- 1992:
They received a Grammy nomination for 'Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal' for the song 'To Be With You'
- 1993:
The band won the 'Best Hard Rock/Metal Album of the Year' award at the 1993 Japan Gold Disc Awards for 'Lean Into It'
- 2011:
Mr. Big was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame
LINE-UP CHANGE
& break-up
Gilbert left the band in 1999, and eventually reformed Racer X. Richie Kotzen, another Shrapnel artist and former guitarist for Poison, was brought in as a guitar player. Two studio albums were released by this lineup: Get Over It in 1999, and Actual Size in 2001. Get Over It was released in September 1999 in Japan, and yielded the single 'Superfantastic,' to a lukewarm audience response. Mr. Big performed a 20-date tour of Japan, followed by a New Year's Eve 1999 show with Aerosmith at the Osaka Dome, in Osaka, Japan
Get Over It was released in the US in March 2000, followed by a short club stint at 'Roxy', California. Several music videos for songs on Get Over It were recorded (for 'Electrified' and 'Superfantastic'), however the director claimed rights to the music videos and they were never released. In 2001, Mr. Big released Actual Size in Asia. The CD sat on the charts in the number three spot and 'Shine', the first single, went to number one. The song was also used as the ending theme for the anime series Hellsing.
However, tension had developed between Sheehan and the other members when Sheehan began touring with Steve Vai. Martin, Kotzen, and Torpey decided to write songs without Sheehan, who was only given credit for two songs on Actual Size. Martin and the others were also upset with Sheehan's attitude during the recording of the 'Shine' music video. This was when Martin and Torpey decided the only way to keep moving forward was to fire Sheehan. Although Sheehan was upset that the other members had attempted to 'fire' him from the band he created, he agreed to rejoin them, provided that that would be their farewell tour. The band then toured and ultimately disbanded, in February 2002, later issuing a statement in May
REUNION
& new album
A near Mr. Big 'one-off' reunion took place on May 13, 2008, in Los Angeles, at the House of Blues, when Paul Gilbert was joined on stage by Pat Torpey, Richie Kotzen, and Billy Sheehan, for renditions of Humble Pie's '30 Days in the Hole' and original Mr. Big composition 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy'. Reportedly, the three had such an amazing time that they decided to contact Eric Martin a few days later, and a reunion of the four original members (Paul, Eric, Pat, and Billy) was put into motion.
On February 1, 2009, a radio announcement for 'Koh Sakai's Burrn Presents: Heavy Metal Syndicate' contained a short message from Mr. Big, announcing the reunion of the original Mr. Big line-up to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their debut album. A press conference in Japan in February generated much excitement, and a tour of the country starting in June was announced, with shows in ten locations (including the Budokan).
They held their first reunion concert outside Japan at Rock Cafe in Tallinn, Estonia, in September 2009, continuing their tour. Mr. Big toured India in October 2009 as part of the Reunion Tour, playing to huge crowds in Bangalore, Dimapur, and Shillong.
In September 2010, Mr. Big recorded a seventh album with producer Kevin Shirley at a Los Angeles-area studio. The album was released in Japan on December 15, 2010, in Europe on January 21, 2011, and in the US in February 2011.
What If... is their first album of new material in nearly 10 years. The band also toured in support of the album. The tour to support the album kicked off at The House of Blues, in Hollywood, California, on April 2, 2011, and ended at the Rockout Festival in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2011. The band also appeared at the Download Festival in June 2011. As part of the album release, the group created a music video for the song 'Undertow'. Directed by Vicente Cordero and Fernando Cordero, it featured the band in an industrial park.
Mr. Big released their eighth studio album ...The Stories We Could Tell on September 30, 2014, via Frontiers Records. It was produced by Pat Regan, who returned as producer for the first time since 1999's Get Over It.
The band confirmed that Pat's fill-in for the upcoming world tour would be Burning Rain drummer Matt Starr, who had also previously performed with Ace Frehley and Joe Lynn Turner. The group's latest album, Defying Gravity, was recorded in Los Angeles in six days, and released on July 21, 2017. Due to Pat Torpey being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he could not play drums fully on the record and played on only several tracks. Matt Starr recorded the drum tracks, while Pat Torpey acted as 'drum producer.'
DEATH OF PAT TORPEY
& new drummer
On February 7, 2018, drummer Pat Torpey died from complications of Parkinson's disease at the age of 64. His last show took place at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton on November 23, 2017. A memorial show took place on May 23, 2018, at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California, with former member Richie Kotzen as a special guest. The all-star finale of 'To Be With You' included, among others, Matt Sorum, Dave Amato, Ricky Phillips, Keith St John, Prescott Niles, Kelly Keagy, Jeff Scott Soto, Ace Von Johnson and Gregg Bissonette
FAREWELL TOUR
The BIG Finish
MR. BIG is putting on its signature top hats and old shoes one last time for a worldwide tour, aptly titled “The BIG Finish”. Since the band’s original drummer and co-founder, Pat Torpey, lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, MR. BIG now feels it’s time to mark the end of this chapter of the group’s legacy.
Following MR. BIG‘s run in Japan and Southeast Asia over the summer, the band brings “The BIG Finish” to Europe next March and April that will see a set spanning their career, including a performance of their classic breakthrough album “Lean Into It” in full.
We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it
Billy Sheehan
We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.
Paul Gilbert
If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to ‘The BIG Finish’!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.
Submit Eric Martin
Joining Mr.Big on drums for this special final world tour will be longtime friend of the band Nick D’Virgilio (SPOCK’S BEARD, BIG BIG TRAIN).
We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too,Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat‘s, and he’ll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse. It’s a big relief because MR. BIG has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It’s difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage.
confirms Sheehan
concert's documentation
Made with passion
by Theo