Pat Torpey, one of the founders of rock band Mr. Big, died on Wednesday. That’s what the band said on Twitter on Thursday night.
“With a broken heart we tell you that our brother, friend, drummer and band member of the first hour, Pat, died of the consequences of Parkinson’s disease”, writes the band.
Pat Torpey died at 58 years old. He was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
“Family, bond and management ask for privacy in this difficult time.” Torpey, who turned 64, was told in 2014 that he was suffering from Parkinson’s, but until recently he played with the band as drummer and background singer.
During the last French tour of the group, on November 6, 2017 at the Machine du Moulin Rouge, in Paris (XVIII), Pat Torpey had however appeared on stage a few minutes. Tense smile and slow gestures, the man, very applauded by the spectators and encouraged by his colleagues, was content to play percussion, before putting himself behind a real drums on the song “Just take my heart”.
Torpey toured including Tina Turner, Belinda Carlisle and Robert Plant before joining singer Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan in 1988. Big started. In 1992 they had a hit with To Be With You. The group broke up in 2002, but came together again in 2009. After that comeback, Mr. Big released three more albums.
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