Tico Torres
| Tico Torres | |
|---|---|
 Torres in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hector Juan Samuel Torres |
| Also known as | Tico, The Hit Man |
| Born |
October 7, 1953 New York, USA |
| Genres | Rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion, blues, glam metal |
| Occupations | Musician, painter |
| Instruments | Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Chimes, Electric Guitar |
| Years active | 1969-present |
| Associated acts | Bon Jovi |
Héctor Samuel Juan "Tico" Torres (born October 7, 1953) is an American drummer and percussionist for rock band Bon Jovi. He also has taken lead vocals on a song on the box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, as well as backing vocals on a couple of the early Bon Jovi tracks, notably "Born to Be My Baby" and "Love for Sale".
Childhood
Torres was born on October 7, 1953, in New York, and brought up in the Colonia section of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. His parents, Emma and Héctor, immigrated from Cuba in 1948.[1] He attended John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Iselin.[citation needed] He has a sister called Opi.
Music career
Torres was a jazz fan as a youth and studied music with Joe Morello. In 1969 he played drums for the psychedelic rock band Six Feet Under. Before joining Bon Jovi in 1983 he had already played live with Joe Cerisano aka Silver Condor in the New Jersey Rock circuit, and in the studio with Franke and the Knockouts, Pat Benatar, Chuck Berry, Cher, Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks, recording a total of 26 albums with these artists.
Torres was the original drummer for the glam rock band T. Roth and Another Pretty Face and played on their debut album Face Facts.[2]
Bon Jovi
Tico met Alec John Such while playing with a band called Phantom's Opera and it was this friendship which led to him joining Bon Jovi. When Jon Bon Jovi, the lead singer of the band, approached Torres, he was put off by the fact that Jon was 9 years younger than he was. Regardless of this he said it was Jon's charismatic appearance and watching Jon perform that attracted him to join the band.
Equipment
Tico is an endorser of DW Drums and hardware since 2013, previously he was endorsed by Pearl Drums. He uses Signature-Reflector Paiste cymbals, Ahead Tico Torres signature drum sticks/gloves/griptape, Remo drumheads, Emperor X on (top) snare (Ambassador *resonate* Snare), Coated Emperor on (top) Remo Starfire Chrome (on resonate toms/floor toms) Coated Powerstroke 3 on bassdrums 22 x 18 x'2 (Powerstroke Ebony (Remo), DW Drum Pedals (DW 9000) LP percussion and Beato bags.
Art
Known as "The Hitman," Tico discovered another talent: painting. He has exhibited his art since 1994. The successful first show was at the Ambassador Galleries in Soho, New York. Tico is a self-taught painter, who paints expressive pictures which show scenes from everyday life and the life with the band.
His painting talent was shown in one of the three videos made for the single "Who Says You Can't Go Home." There is a scene in one of the videos showing Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, and Richie Sambora painting a wall of a house a solid color, while Tico is at the other end of the room, painting an extravagant picture of a house surrounded by a multi-colored heart on the same wall. His art can be found at http://www.walnutst.com/.
He also owns a fashion line for babies called Rock Star Baby (selling baby clothing, strollers, soft toys, jewelry and furniture, etc.), which is viewable at http://www.rockstarbaby.com
Personal life
Tico and his first wife divorced soon after the formation of Bon Jovi in 1983. In 1996, Torres married Czech-born model Eva Herzigová in Sea Bright, New Jersey. The ceremony was attended by their closest friends and family including Donald Trump and the members of Bon Jovi. The band serenaded Eva and her husband with the hit single "Always" during the dance. Their marriage ended two years later. Tico married Maria Alejandra in September 2001, his third marriage. They have a son, Hector Alexander, born on January 9, 2004.[3]
Discography
Bon Jovi
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Richie Sambora
- Studio albums
- Stranger In This Town (1991)
T. Roth and Another Pretty Face
- Face Facts (1980)
See also
References
- ↑ "BON JOVI DRUMMER BEATS OUT EMOTION ON CANVAS". The Palm Beach Post. March 20, 1996.
- ↑ AllMusic.com
- ↑ BBC - Beds Herts and Bucks - Entertainment - Everything changes for Take That!
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bon Jovi. |
- Bon Jovi.com
- NPR Jon Bon Jovi profile
- Bon Jovi's Webpage at VH1
- Ten Classic Bon Jovi Songs at Unreality Music
- Bon Jovi discography at MusicBrainz
- Bon Jovi discography at Discogs
- Tico Torres Art
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