View source for Tico Torres

{{Short description|American drummer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Tico Torres
| image             = Tico Torres Bon Jovi at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg
| caption           = Torres in 2009
| background        = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name        = Hector Samuel Juan Torres
| alias             = Tico, The Hitman
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1953|10|7}}
| birth_place       = [[New York City]], U.S.
| instruments       = Drums<!-- only primary instruments -->
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Hard rock]]
* [[glam metal]]
* [[arena rock]]
* [[pop rock]]
* {{nowrap|[[jazz fusion]]}}
* [[blues]]
}}
| occupation        = Musician
| years_active      = 1969–present
| current_member_of = [[Bon Jovi]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=CrypticRock |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Interview – Tico Torres of Bon Jovi |url=https://crypticrock.com/interview-tico-torres-of-bon-jovi/ |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=Cryptic Rock |language=en-US}}</ref>
| past_member_of    = {{flatlist|
* [[T. Roth and Another Pretty Face]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=T. Roth and Another Pretty Face music, videos, stats, and photos |url=https://www.last.fm/music/T.+Roth+and+Another+Pretty+Face |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=Last.fm |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Franke and the Knockouts]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hartshorn |first=Tori |title=Frankie & The Knockouts Return From The 80s With Newly Remastered COMPLETE COLLECTION |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Frankie-The-Knockouts-Return-From-The-80s-With-Newly-Remastered-COMPLETE-COLLECTION-20181129 |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref>
}}
}}

'''Hector Samuel Juan''' "'''Tico'''" '''Torres'''  (born October 7, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and one of the founding members of the [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Bon Jovi]]. In 2018, he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Bon Jovi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bon Jovi|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bon-jovi|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=December 17, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

== Childhood ==
Hector Juan Samuel Torres was born on October 7, 1953, in [[New York City]], and brought up in the [[Colonia, New Jersey|Colonia]] section of [[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]]. His parents, Emma and Héctor, emigrated from [[Cuba]] in 1948.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PBPB&p_theme=pbpb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF3F76C3FE0C14&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=BON JOVI DRUMMER BEATS OUT EMOTION ON CANVAS|work=The Palm Beach Post| date=March 20, 1996}}</ref> Torres attended [[John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (New Jersey)|John F. Kennedy Memorial High School]] in [[Iselin, New Jersey|Iselin]].

== 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, Torres had already played live with Joe Cerisano's R-Band 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 26 albums with these artists. Torres was also one of the drummers auditioned by [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] in 1980 after original drummer [[Peter Criss]] left the band.

Torres was the original drummer for the [[glam rock]] band ''[[T. Roth and Another Pretty Face]]'' and played on their 1980 album ''[[Face Facts]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Face Facts|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-facts-mw0000909599/credits|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

=== Bon Jovi ===
{{Main|Bon Jovi}}
[[File:Tico torres.jpg|thumb|Torres live with Bon Jovi in 2007]]
Torres met [[Alec John Such]] while playing with a band called Phantom's Opera and it was this friendship that led to him joining Bon Jovi.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=April 15, 2018|title=Read Bon Jovi's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Speeches|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/read-bon-jovis-career-defining-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-induction-speeches-628924/|access-date=December 24, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> 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. He said it was Jon's charismatic appearance and watching him perform that attracted him to join the band.

Known as "The Hitman," Torres is primarily a drummer and percussionist, but he sang 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".

== Other work ==
Aside from his success as a drummer, Torres discovered another talent: [[painting]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tico Torres – BON JOVI: Presented by Walnut Street Gallery|url=https://walnutst.com/cart/artist.php?cat=23|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=walnutst.com}}</ref> He has exhibited his art since 1994. The successful first show was at the Ambassador Galleries in Soho, New York. Torres is a self-taught painter, who paints expressive pictures which show scenes from everyday life and his 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]]."

Torres also owns a fashion line for babies called Rock Star Baby.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bon Jovi star keeps faith in brand|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/bon-jovi-star-keeps-faith-in-brand-29395978.html|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=Independent|date=July 4, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Torres 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]]. Their marriage ended two years later. Torres married Maria Alejandra in September 2001, his third marriage; they divorced in 2008. They have a son, born on January 9, 2004.

When the Bon Jovi ''What About Now'' tour reached Mexico on September 10, 2013, Torres experienced severe abdominal pains and was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis. About two weeks later, on September 22, 2013, he was hospitalized a second time for emergency gall bladder surgery.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tico Torres Hospitalized For Emergency Gall Bladder Surgery|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tico-torres-hospitalized-surgery_n_3972324|website=HuffPost.com|date=September 22, 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Rich Scannella filled in for him, and Torres returned to the tour in Fresno, California, on October 8, 2013, one day after his 60th birthday.

Torres is an avid golfer who frequently participates in the [[Alfred Dunhill Links Championship|Alfred Dunhill Links Pro-Am]] in St. Andrews, UK, often playing in a foursome with fellow musician and good friend [[Huey Lewis]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Celebrities in the field|url=https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2021/09/28/2021-alfred-dunhill-links-championship-celebrities-in-the-field-124231/|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=thegolfnewsnet.com|date=September 28, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Flett|first=Amie|title=Ronan Keating, Peter Jones and Huey Lewis among stars competing in Alfred Dunhill Links 20th anniversary|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/2501780/ronan-keating-peter-jones-and-huey-lewis-named-alongside-stars-heading-to-alfred-dunhill-links-for-20th-anniversary/|url-access=limited|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=The Courier|date=September 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Discography ==

=== Bon Jovi ===
{{Main|Bon Jovi discography}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
;Studio albums

*''[[Bon Jovi (album)|Bon Jovi]]'' (1984)
*''{{proper name|[[7800° Fahrenheit]]}}'' (1985)
*''[[Slippery When Wet]]''  (1986)
*''[[New Jersey (album)|New Jersey]]'' (1988)
*''[[Keep the Faith]]'' (1992)
*''[[These Days (Bon Jovi album)|These Days]]'' (1995)
*''[[Crush (Bon Jovi album)|Crush]]'' (2000)
*''[[Bounce (Bon Jovi album)|Bounce]]'' (2002)
*''[[Have a Nice Day (Bon Jovi album)|Have a Nice Day]]'' (2005)
*''[[Lost Highway (Bon Jovi album)|Lost Highway]]'' (2007)
*''[[The Circle (Bon Jovi album)|The Circle]]'' (2009)
*''[[What About Now (album)|What About Now]]'' (2013)
*''[[Burning Bridges (Bon Jovi album)|Burning Bridges]]'' (2015)
*''[[This House Is Not for Sale]]'' (2016)
*''[[2020 (Bon Jovi album)|2020]]'' (2020)
*''[[Forever (Bon Jovi album)|Forever]]'' (2024)

{{col-3}}
;Compilation albums

*''[[Hard & Hot (Best of Bon Jovi)|Hard & Hot]]'' (1991)
*''[[Cross Road (album)|Cross Road]]'' (1994)
*''[[Tokyo Road: Best of Bon Jovi]]'' (2001)
*''[[This Left Feels Right]]'' (2003)
*''[[Greatest Hits (Bon Jovi album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (2010)

;Live albums
*''[[One Wild Night Live 1985–2001]]'' (2001)
*''[[Inside Out (Bon Jovi album)|Inside Out]]'' (2012)
*''[[This House Is Not for Sale – Live from the London Palladium]]'' (2016)

;Box sets
*''[[100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong]]'' (2004) (With on disc three, track three "Only in My Dreams" (featuring Tico Torres on vocals; Unreleased demo, 1994)
{{col-3}}
{{col-end}}

=== Richie Sambora ===
*''[[Stranger in This Town]]'' (1991)

=== T. Roth and Another Pretty Face ===
*''[[Face Facts]]'' (1980)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commonscat}}
* [http://www.bonjovi.com/ Bon Jovi.com]
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92549235 NPR Jon Bon Jovi profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020606135755/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/bon_jovi/artist.jhtml Bon Jovi's Webpage at VH1]
* [https://archive.today/20071015183950/http://music.unrealitytv.co.uk/let-it-rock-10-classic-bon-jovi-songs/ Ten Classic Bon Jovi Songs] at Unreality Music
* {{musicbrainz artist|id=5dcdb5eb-cb72-4e6e-9e63-b7bace604965|name=Bon Jovi}}
* {{discogs artist|artist=Bon Jovi|name=Bon Jovi}}
* [http://www.walnutst.com// Tico Torres Art]

{{BonJovi}}
{{2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Tico}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:American musicians of Cuban descent]]
[[Category:American rock drummers]]
[[Category:Bon Jovi members]]
[[Category:Drummers from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Drummers from New York City]]
[[Category:Jersey Shore musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Middlesex County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]]