Mr. Big was a United States rock band. They were formed in 1988 and are best known for their 1991 acoustic hit, "To Be With You".
History
Mr. Big combined two popular musical trends of the rock scene in the 1980s: a particular brand of hard rock, focused on melodies and listener-friendly choruses, and impressive technical proficiency, then called shredding. The seeds for the group were sown when bass player Billy Sheehan (among rock music's most prominent artists, and present day bass guitarist for guitarist Steve Vai) left David Lee Roth's solo band (also with Vai) in 1988. Almost immediately after his exit, Sheehan began piecing together a new outfit, with the help of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, a label specialized in the shredding genre.
Members
Eric Martin (vocals)
Pat Torpey (drums)
Billy Sheehan (bass)
Paul Gilbert (guitar 1988-1997)
Richie Kotzen (guitar 1999-2002)
Tensions in the band between Billy Sheehan and the other members, especially Eric Martin, led to the band's demise -- contractual obligations for yet another Japanese tour were fulfilled in the form of a "farewell tour". The multi-million record-selling band broke up in 2002, many years since their last US hit, but while still enjoying great popularity in Japan. All of the former members have gone on to other projects in the music industry.
