Classic Rock
Vinny Appice recalls the experience of playing with Ozzy Osbourne
Although American drummer Vinny Appice is best known for his strong bond with Ronnie James Dio, whom he played with in Black Sabbath and later for many years in Dio, he also had the chance to perform with Black Sabbath alongside Ozzy Osbourne.
This occurred during the band’s reunion tour in the late 1990s, at a few concerts in Europe, because the original drummer Bill Ward was dealing with some health issues. During the whole tour Appice was around to replace Ward in case he couldn’t perform. The musician recalled in an interview with WIVB-TV, the experience of playing with the late legendary Sabbath frontman.
Vinny Appice recalls the experience of playing with Ozzy Osbourne
“Well, he wasn’t known as the greatest rock singer, but he is a great singer, and his antics and his character, on stage, people loved him. And you never know what was gonna happen when he’s on stage. I played with him with Black Sabbath for a little bit in Europe and it was always something,”
“First time (I) played (with him) — (in front of) 70, 80,000 people — and he threw a pail of water on me. The drums were all wet. And then he did it twice. I went, ‘Okay.’ I almost went on the next show with an umbrella. But then at the hotel lobby, we were leaving the next morning, and [Ozzy’s wife and manager] Sharon Osbourne said, ‘How’s everything going, Vinny?'”
He continued:
“I said, ‘It’s great, except he keeps throwing water on me.’ And she goes, ‘He did?’ That was the end of the water. So she wears the pants in the family. But what a character. (He was a) great guy, sweetheart. Love him. And sad it turned out to be this, but what a sendoff,” Vinny Appice said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth).
The American musician joined Black Sabbath in 1980, not long after “Heaven & Hell” was released. His first studio album with the band was “Mob Rules”(1981) and he was also part of the live record “Live Evil” (1982) and the 1992 album “Dehumanizer”. Later on, he was the drummer in the Sabbath spin-off group Heaven & Hell, which also had Dio, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler.
