MR. BIG is one of the few much vaunted supergroups to actually combine chart success with longevity. The band, named after the FREE track (which the group would eventually cover), were created in late 1988 by respected Bay Area vocalist ERIC MARTIN and world renowned bassist BILLY SHEEHAN.

Martin had previously enjoyed critical acclaim as a solo artist and with his own ERIC MARTIN BAND, but had little commercial success, despite being guided by from the same heavyweight management team that handled JOURNEY. Buffalo native Sheehan, on the other hand, had made his mark initially with his own high octane unit TALAS prior to stints with UFO and the DAVID LEE ROTH band.

Following his departure from the latter group, Sheehan had originally hooked up with ex-BILLY IDOL guitarist STEVE STEVENS with a view to putting an over the top Metal project together, but things didn't work out. Billy changed tack slightly and decided to get hold of Eric Martin through mutual acquaintance Mike Varney (of Shrapnel Records fame). Producer Ted Templeman suggested the pair contact RACER X guitarist PAUL GILBERT when asked about available hotshot guitarists. As fate would have it, Sheehan knew Gilbert anyway and got back in touch with him through Varney. Ironically, Gilbert was on the point of leaving RACER X and had thought about contacting Eric Martin with a view to working together!

After working with another drummer for a short period of time, Sheehan contacted buddy Pat Torpey, whose CV included studio work with ROBERT PLANT and IMPELLITERRI, and wound up writing something in the region of 30 songs. 10 songs made the debut record, a cover of HUMBLE PIE's '30 Days In The Hole' featured as a bonus on the CD version of the 'Mr. Big' album once the 'supergroup' signed to Atlantic.

The record was produced by Kevin Elson and proved to be rather popular straight out of the box, the group going on to tour through America with RUSH and gaining a firm following in the Far East.

To satisfy demand in Japan a six track live album, 'Live! Raw Like Sushi', was released there, consisting of live tracks recorded from shows performed opening for RUSH on the Canadian legends 'Presto' tour during June 1990. Unfortunately for Gilbert a show at the Atlanta Omni in May would go down in Rock n' Roll history when during his infamous power drill guitar solo the implement became tangled in his hair. MR. BIG wasted no time in concocting a second studio album and 'Lean Into It' appeared in 1991 followed by a British tour in April and May supported by THE THROBS and HEARTLAND.

The band scored a monster hit single with the gentle ballad 'To Be With You' which attained the No. 1 position in America and achieved top 5 status in Britain prompting a re-entry of the 'Lean Into It' album in the process. Initially, the album had peaked at number 52 but the renewed interest boosted a re-entry that hit number 28. The PAUL GILBERT written 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind' was re-issued as a single in the wake of 'To Be With You''s success, but rather oddly, despite being considered one of the strongest songs on the album failed to do any better than it did when first released.

Another British tour ensured before the quartet opted to release the 'Mr. Big Live' album in 1992 and set to work on a third album, 'Bump Ahead'. Live headliners across the Uk in December 1993 saw FORGODSAKE as support. The band notably broke away from this run to put in supports to AEROSMITH's three night, sold out stand at London's Wembley Arena.

By the time 'Hey Man' emerged the popularity of the group remained high in Japan and newer markets such as Thailand and South Korea. However, the change in attitudes towards Hard Rock and the media treatment of so called '80s' Hair bands' meant that sales were poor in America and Europe causing the group to drop any plans they may have had to tour anywhere other than the Far East.

The group's album, 'Live At Budokan', was another live release intended for the Japanese market only and available only in Japan up to this point.

By the time 'Live At Budokan' appeared the group had effectively been put on ice as the individual band members became engrossed in other projects. Sheehan involved himself in his NIACIN Jazz Rock side band, recorded the Prog Rock album 'Age Of Impact' with the Mike Varney co-produced EXPLORERS CLUB project and even played a reunion show back in Buffalo with TALAS.

PAUL GILBERT would release his first solo album, 'King Of Clubs', in late 1997 which featured Pat Torpey on drums. Gilbert had previously made his official debut as a vocalist singing lead on a bonus track on the 'Big, Bigger, Biggest' compilation album. Torpey also contributed some drum parts to the 'Nothing Is Sacred' album by German guitarist Peter Scheithauer's STREAM project and recorded an album with Californian AOR band VELOCITY that was released in Europe during April 1998. The drummer was also planning to issue a solo album of his own during the year.

As for ERIC MARTIN, the singer released a brand new solo album, 'Somewhere In The Middle', during the Summer of 1998 produced by Bill Wray.

PAUL GILBERT, departing from MR. BIG worked on a further solo album 'Flying Dog', a live album 'Beehive Live' and resurrected his pre MR. BIG Metal band RACER X for the 2000 album 'Technical Difficulties'.

MR. BIG got back into gear by pulling in former POISON guitarist RICHIE KOTZEN. The new guitarist had an enviable reputation behind him with a string of critically appraised solo albums. Kotzen's only previous band effort had been on the POISON album 'Native Tongue'.

The resulting MR. BIG album 'Get Over It', released in Japan during 1999, proved to be Atlantic's biggest selling release in that territory. MR. BIG put in Japanese dates including a huge festival with AEROSMITH in Tokyo.

BILLY SHEEHEN would cut his debut solo album during 2001 entitled 'Compression'. Guests included guitarist STEVE VAI and former MISSING PERSONS drummer Terry Bozzio. Kotzen would also use some down time to session of the 2001 WAR AND PEACE album which coincidentally also featured PAUL GILBERT.

MR. BIG's 2001 album, 'Actual Size' produced by Richie Zito, would be released in Japan during August. Although fans welcomed a new album other news would come as a shock. After completing a video for the first single track 'Shine' Pat Torpey, according to reports, left a voice mail message for Sheehan informing the bassist and founder member he was no longer in the band. Sheehan had apparently made no secret of the fact that he was unhappy with the band's increasingly Poppier direction and his lack of inclusion in the songwriting for the album. The band members gritted their teeth for a farewell tour of Japan after which MR. BIG would be laid to rest.

With his skills still very much in demand Sheehan promptly hooked up with STEVE VAI for a further 'G3' show in Mexico City, Mexico and would join Vai's European run of dates in November. This Vai / Sheehan pairing would also catch the attention of DAVID LEE ROTH fans as rumours circulated that Roth had received a once in a lifetime offer to re-assemble his classic 'Eat 'Em And Smile' line-up of Sheehan, Vai and GREGG BISSONETTE.

The swansong 'Mr. Big In Japan' live album, culled from the band's final Japanese gig on 5th February 2002 in Tokyo, was issued in Japan on April 24th. Giving some idea of the level of fanatacism for MR. BIG in Japan the release, which initially came in a box package including 48 page history booklet, replica backstage pass and poster came in a 'limited' edition of a mere 100'000! Meantime, two archive MR. BIG tracks recorded for the 'Navy Seals' soundtrack, the Giorgio Moroder penned 'Strike Like Lightning' and 'Shadows', would re-surface as cover versions on the debut album from AORsters KHYMERA.

It would soon be learned that PAT TORPEY had become involved in a reunion of the Classic Rock act MONTROSE. Meantime, ERIC MARTIN was quick off the mark with a further solo album, the modern Rock flavoured 'I'm Goin' Sane'. The singer followed this up with touring across North America and then a further Japanese release entitled 'Pure'. Meantime, during October, rumours of a full blown MR. BIG reformation were already underway after Sheehan, Torpey and Kotzen jammed together in Japan.

MR. BIG did indeed make something of a comeback to appease their Far Eastern fans but in a manner which was quite unique. In 2003 an album plotted as 'Influences And Connections' was revealed to be underway. This Pat Regan produced outing, centred upon Pat Torpey and Richie Kotzen, comprised of MR. BIG tracks performed by both band members and outside guest artists. Those participating included Billy Sheehan, bass on the PAUL RODGERS vocalised 'Mr. Big' plus lead vocals on 'Addicted To That Rush', HEART's ANN WILSON on a rejigged 'Promise (Him) The Moon', JOHN WAITE on 'Wild World', JOE LYNN TURNER with 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy' and GLENN HUGHES tackling both 'Price You Gotta Pay' and 'Alive & Kicking'. Also on call would be ENUFF Z' NUFF's Donnie Vee suitably heading up 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind' and the DOGSTAR duo of singer Brett Bamroe and well known actor Keanu Reeves with 'Shine'. Much of the bass work would be supplied by HOUSE OF LORDS man Chuck Wright with ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum getting in on the action. Guitar solos would be donated by TOTO's STEVE LUKATHER, MARTY FRIEDMAN and HOUSE OF LORDS Lanny Cordola.

Sheehan formed up part of STEVE VAI's band for October 'G3 '03' North American tour dates. That same year found ERIC MARTIN fronting TMG, a band assembled around guitarist TAK MATSUMOTO, member of the massive Japanese Rock instituition the B'Z, the collaboration also featuring the NIGHT RANGER and DAMN YANKEES credited bassist JACK BLADES with drums came from the ex-FOREIGNER, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and PRIDE & GLORY man Brian Tichy. Subsequent Japanese live shows for TMG saw the inclusion of MR. BIG's 'To Be With You' in the set list. Pat Torpey joined the DAVID LEE ROTH band in mid 2005.

The MR. BIG duo of BILLY SHEEHAN and PAUL GILBERT also found inclusion in AMAZING JOURNEY, a one-off tribute band assembled to pay homage to THE WHO. On drums would be Mike Portnoy, of DREAM THEATER repute and with Gary Cherone of VAN HALEN and EXTREME on vocals. This impressive quartet undertook a brief burst of US shows in May 2006.

On February 3rd 2007 Eric Martin, together with Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of NELSON, Mark Slaughter of SLAUGHTER, JANI LANE of WARRANT and KELLY KEAGY of NIGHT RANGER, performed under the SCRAP METAL banner for an MTV filmed concert at the Mohegan Sun Hotel & Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

A stripped down acoustic version of 'Just Take My Heart', credited to ERIC MARTIN, was contributed to the 'VH1 Metal Mania Stripped Volume 3' compilation album issued through Sidewinder Music in March 2007.

A near MR. BIG one off reunion took place on 13th May 2008 in Los Angeles at the House Of Blues when Paul Gilbert was joined onstage by Pat Torpey, Ritchie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan for renditions of HUMBLE PIE's '30 Days In The Hole' and 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy'.

The original line-up of MR. BIG celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of its debut album by reforming for a tour of Japan. Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and Pat Torpey confirmed their reunion plans to DJ Koh Sakai of the Japanese radio program 'Heavy Metal Syndicate' in January 2009. MR. BIG held a press conference in Tokyo on 9th February to answer questions and also performed a short acoustic set. The reunion tour commenced at Kouseinenkin Hall in Sapporo on 5th June, wrapping up on the 20th of that month at Tokyo's Budokan.For these shows the group performed a version of DEEP PURPLE's 'Smoke On The Water' that saw all members swapping instruments, with Billy Sheehan on lead vocals, Eric Martin on guitar, Pat Torpey on bass and Paul Gilbert on drums.

MR. BIG toured Europe in September 2009, hitting Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Garry Sharpe-Young