Tico Torres says Bon Jovi not retiring, teases upcoming music

Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres has pushed back against rumors that the band has “retired” while also hinting that new music is on the way.

Speculation has been circulating online that Jon Bon Jovi and the group are stepping away from the spotlight, with the hashtag #ThankYouJon even trending on the social media platform X.

But the 71-year-old drummer made it clear that it is not the case.

In a video uploaded to X, he said: “I’m here to dispel a lot of rumors that I’ve read. People have been 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.”

He added: “The boys and I, Jon, and everybody, we’re still making music. We’re the best we’ve ever been.

“All I can tell you is: don’t listen to what you read. It’s most likely bull****.”

The speculation around the Livin’ On A Prayer hitmakers followed concerns about Jon Bon Jovi’s voice.

The 63-year-old rocker has even admitted that he would accept walking away from touring if he could not perform at the level he expects after undergoing surgery in 2022.

He told The Sunday Times in April 2024: “It’s the parallel storyline, right? This is the first time I’m saying this. If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I once was … then I’m done. And I’m good with that.

“There is a big difference between being in a studio and going out on the road. We have just recorded a new album. I sing in vocal therapy every day. But I want to perform for two and a half hours a night, four nights a week, and I know how good I can be, so if I can’t be that guy … put it this way, I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis.”

In June 2024, Jon provided an update, saying that although he was “not quite there” when it came to returning to a full-scale tour, he could finally “see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Asked if he planned to perform live again, he told Entertainment Tonight, “I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long process, it’s been two years, and look, I’m not quite there yet.

“[It would be] two and a half hours, four nights a week this is the bar I set for myself… I don’t mess around when we go out.”