Real
name: Hector
Torres
Birthdate: October 7, 1953
Birthplace:
New York City
Grew
up in: Iselin,
NJ
Family: Mom, Emma: Dad, Hector, brother
Andrew
High
School: JFK
Memorial High School in Iselin, NJ
First
Band: Sweat,
age 16
Other
Bands:
Phantom's Opera, Franke and the Knockouts, the Marvellettes
(toured with), Studio musician for many other groups.
Marital
Status: Married
to model Eva Herzigova, September 7, 1996
Instruments
played: Drums
Hobbies: Carpentry, cars, painting,
poetry
In a society dominated by grunge-inspired slackers, it is both rare and unique to find a true "Renaissance Man." Tico Torres, however, is exactly that - and more! Donned with paintbrush and plume, Torres' wide-ranging talent takes on a new context which moves beyond the level of music alone. Already an accomplished, internationally known drummer, he has extended his talent to the world of Fine Arts. Self-taught, with no formal training as a musician, Tico has reached the pinnacle in his field. Without any formal training in art, Tico's aspirations as a painter are equally ambitious. He feels there are fewer limitations in the visual arts which allows him the freedom to explore his feelings on canvas.
Over the course of a decade, whether sketching while on the road with Bon Jovi, or painting at home in his New Jersey studio, Tico has continuously strived to create a collection of eye appealing art. Born to Cuban parents, Torres lived with them in Varadero, Cuba. Before returning to the United States, he absorbed the Cuban sounds and flavors that influence his music and art today.
Torres' canvases, reminiscent of the German Expressionist style of Bacon and Munch, are rich in color and texture. Working with brush, palette knife, or any found object suitable for applying paint, he boldly confronts the surface. Mainly figurative, his works are often of an ambiguous nature, demanding a closer inspection by the viewer. His inspiration comes from everyday life experience, whether it be the birth of a child or the birth of a song, the places he's traveled or the people he's met.
Despite his status in the musical arena, in the world of Fine Arts, Tico was a newcomer and extremely critical of his own work. Although certain that it showed promise, this modest, self-effacing man was not sure he was ready to share his art with the rest of the world. The cold reality, Tico admits, is that he was relying heavily on the opinions of friends and family when he reached the decision to have a public show.
His first show took place at Ambassador Galleries in SoHo, New York City where his art was revealed publicly to hundreds of collectors. The premiere was critically acclaimed as an enormous success with over half the collection sold in just one evening. Since that time, Torres has received rave reviews and requests for shows all over the world. Tico has had shows in places such as Miami, Cleveland, Las Vegas and Palm Beach.
From his earlier, vibrant effort of "A Matter of Class" to the superb innocence of "The Immigrant," to the powerful inescapable pain felt by "Death of a Friend," Tico's contrasting styles mask a fury of vast diversity of undeniable achievement indicating every element of gifted success.
"And when an artist successfully crosses from one creative domain into another - from music into the visual arts - it's a wonderful feat. The physical embodiment of the artist's impulse provides shape and form that in many cases look very much like the way the creator's music sounds."
Michael Greene President and CEO National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences,Inc.
*This Biography was taken from PolyGram's Bon Jovi Home Page.
