Mr. Big
Mr. Big is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1988. The band was originally composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey . Though primarily a hard rock band, they are also known for softer songs. Their songs are often marked by strong vocals and vocal harmonies. Their hits include “To Be with You” and “Just Take My Heart”. The band takes its name from a song by Free which it covered on the 1993 album Bump Ahead. Mr. Big remained active and popular for over a decade despite internal conflicts and changing musical trends, releasing four studio albums: Mr. Big , Lean into It , Bump Ahead and Hey Man . Guitarist Paul Gilbert departed the band in 1999, and Richie Kotzen was brought as a guitarist and vocalist. The band released two more albums with this line-up: Get Over It and Actual Size . Mr. Big disbanded in 2002. Following requests from fans, Mr. Big reunited with its original line-up in 2009. The band’s first post-reunion tour was in Japan. In 2010, Mr. Big released its first album in 15 years with the same line-up: What If…. During the recording of the follow-up album …The Stories We Could Tell , Pat Torpey was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and participated only marginally as a touring support. The band’s ninth album, Defying Gravity , was its last record involving Torpey as drum producer; he died the following year. Not wanting to continue without Torpey, the band went on hiatus, then announced in November 2022 that they were planning to tour in 2023 with the former drummer and lead vocalist of Spock’s Beard, Nick D’Virgilio replacing Torpey as a new drummer.Mr. Big is frequently cited as an example of the “Big in Japan” phenomenon, where a musical act is disproportionately more popular in Japan compared to similar groups. Mr. Big are sometimes labeled as a one-hit wonder for “To Be with You”, but they have maintained consistent popularity in the Japanese market throughout their career.
