Mr. Big Consider ‘Proper Goodbye’ After Pat Torpey’s Passing
Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan said the band were considering a “proper goodbye” run of concerts following the death of drummer Pat Torpey last year.
Frontman Eric Martin said in 2018 that he didn’t foresee continuing without Torpey, whose Parkinson’s disease had forced him to take an increasingly hands-off approach to his work towards the end of his life. Martin also suggested that he, Sheehan and guitarist Paul Gilbert could make one final album before splitting.
In a new interview with Music Radar, Sheehan reported: “We honored the bookings we had. We might go out and do something in 2019; we’re talking about it.” He continued: “It’s a cliche, I know, but when we play, people fly in from all over the world to see us. It’s an amazing family of people, and they would love to see us play again.
“We may go out and say a proper goodbye and hold ourselves to it. Mr. Big was the four of us but Paul, Eric and I are closer now than we’ve ever been, having weathered the storm that happened with Pat.”
Sheehan, who continues work with his other bands the Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo, said of his own career: “I love to play; it’s my favourite thing in life. People send me their YouTube clips and I tell them they have to play with people on stage, in front of an audience. You don’t need to be all that ready to play live, but get in a band and get to work! To play live is the greatest joy there is and any musician worth their salt will tell you the same. Working in the studio is one thing, but capturing that live in front of an audience is another level of difficulty.”