Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres has shut down claims he retired from the band after rumours circulated on social media.
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Tico is a founding member of classic rock outfit and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with them back in 2018, leading fans to panic when speculation arose that he had exited the band.
Rumours gained traction earlier after the hosts of the Bon Jovi Talk podcast hinted at a possible line-up change, taking to X/Twitter to write: “Wait…. Has Tico retired????” They went on to say that keyboard player David Bryan had made comments suggesting he and Jon Bon Jovi “started when they were 16” and were now the only two core members left.
“If Tico is done, that’s the band done,” their post continued. “Tico is the heart and soul of the band.” On Monday (August 25), the stickman shared a short video message in response, in which he said he was “here to dispel a lot of rumours that I’ve read”.
“People calling me up, saying, ‘Did you retire from music, from the band?’ Well, no. I have no idea how this stuff starts. Musicians don’t retire, especially me. Me and the boys, Jon and everybody, we’re still making music. I mean, the best we’ve ever been.
“All I can tell you is don’t listen to what you read,” he laughed. “It’s most likely bullshit.”
Replying in the comments, Jon Bon Jovi wrote: “God bless Tico and every member of this band get ready for us… we’re ready for you !!!!”
Torres’ video message fell on the same day the band shared news that they are revisiting their 2024 record ‘Forever’ in a new collaborative album that will see them join forces with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams and more.
Titled ‘Forever (Legendary Edition)’, the record also features guest artists like Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Tedder, the War & Treaty, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, and more. It arrives October 24, and you can pre-order/pre-save here.
It has so far been previewed with Springsteen track ‘Hollow Man’ as well as a new single ‘Red, White & Jersey’, with Jon Bon Jovi describing the new album as, “more than just a collection of collaborations”.
“It is an album borne out of necessity,” he said in a statement, referencing the vocal issues he battled that left him fearing he may never perform live again.
In an interview with NME about ‘Forever’ last year, he shed light on his ongoing recovery from vocal surgery, the chances of an ABBA Voyage-style hologram show, as well as drawing inspiration from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and his ‘Hollow Man’ collaborator Springsteen.
“When we first started out, The Rolling Stones had just turned 40 and we thought they were old then, but they’re still setting the bar to this day. That band are role models, not only to us, but the generation that has come after us,” he said at the time.
“Look at Paul McCartney, he’s 81 and still making records. Bruce Springsteen is doing three-and-a-half-hour concerts at 74 and is still on fucking fire. People don’t want you to be average.”