ARTIST · HARD ROCK

Mr. Big

Virtuoso rhythm section selling power ballads—Los Angeles chops, MTV sheen.

Hard rock
Glam metal

Updated 27 October 2026

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Biography

Eric Martin's soul voice anchored metal-adjacent hooks.

Lean Into It balanced fret fireworks with acoustic tenderness unexpectedly ruling charts.

Reunion tours proved global appetite for musicianship-first rock.

High-bitrate audio keeps bass pops, tapping clarity, and harmony stacks.

Mr. Big brought together four virtuosos: singer Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey. Lean Into It (1991) mixed technical showmanship with accessible songs, including Just Take My Heart and the acoustic ballad To Be with You, which reached number one in the US.

The band was especially popular in Japan. Torpey died in 2018, and the group has continued to perform with drummer Matt Starr.

Interesting facts about Mr. Big

01 American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1988.
02 Lean Into It (1991) included To Be with You as a US number-one single.
03 Members include bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Paul Gilbert among classic-era line-ups.
04 Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert are known as virtuoso players.
05 Drummer Pat Torpey died in 2018.