Reporting for Canada's The Metal Voice on the East Coast Kenny Kessel spoke to Mr. Big Singer Eric Martin on Dec 15, 2022 at Daryl's house in New York.
Photo's by Kenny Kessel for The Metal Voice
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In the chat Martin talks about Mr. Big's plans and also plays an answering machine message from late drummer Pat Torpey.
When asked about Mr. Big's plans
"I'm here to tell you, folks, I have been talking about it lately. I still can't really say the drummer. Mr. Big it's definitely gonna happen, there's no question about it. It's gonna happen in the middle of 2023 (summer). There are going to be multiple dates. We are working on the US. Paul Gilbert is involved, the original guitar player. Billy Sheehan (Bass) and the spirit Pat Torpey. There will be a phenomenal drummer, it won't be Matt Starr, Matt is doing his own thing. We have this new drummer, I will tell you that he (Drummer) sends an audition video and I watched it and (he played), 'Lucky this time' which is a song that we've hardly ever done because mainly because it was really hard (for me) to sing it. It's on the 'Lean into it' album. What he did was, he thought he would one up the audition, so he played drums on it and he sang the lead and the harmonies, on everything. It was phenomenal. I don't want to mention the guy's name until the press release comes out. But the guy really stepped up and everybody knows him and then one really really cool thing is that he was a big fan of Pat Torpey. I think Pat he'd approve of this new mystery man."
Eric Martin Plays Pat Torpey's Answering message when the band started taking off
"Eric Martin, it's Pat Torpey, eh it's 5 o'clock. I guess you are not there. I got a call last night. Congratulations Eric, I knew you had it in you. Dammit, heavy rotation MTV. Today we are going into heavy rotation, can you believe that? It's amazing I'm starting to get scared with all this good news."
The band was originally composed of Eric Martin (lead vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey (drums) R.I.P.
Their hits include "To Be with You" (a number-one single in 15 countries in 1992) and "Just Take My Heart".
Torpey died at age 64 on February 7, 2018, due to complications from Parkinson's disease
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