Book Mr. Big

Mr. Big were the Los Angeles hard rock band behind "To Be with You," the 1992 ballad that went to number one in fifteen countries. Bassist Billy Sheehan formed the group in 1988 after leaving David Lee Roth's band, recruiting singer Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert of Racer X and drummer Pat Torpey, who suggested the name as a nod to the Free song "Mr. Big." Signed to Atlantic Records, they released a self-titled debut in 1989 and opened for Rush in 1990. Lean Into It (1991) was their commercial breakthrough, with "To Be with You," "Just Take My Heart" and "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind." Bump Ahead (1993) added a hit cover of Cat Stevens's "Wild World," and Hey Man followed in 1996. With Richie Kotzen replacing Gilbert, they released Get Over It and Actual Size before disbanding in 2002. The original lineup reunited in 2009, releasing What If… (2010), …The Stories We Could Tell (2014) and Defying Gravity (2017). After Torpey's death in 2018, the band played a farewell tour with drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who also appeared on Ten (2024), their final album. The band enjoyed especially devoted popularity in Japan.