First Dibs!

Ozzy wanted Vinny Appice for his band before the drummer was asked to join the Ozzy-less Black Sabbath.

Drummer Vinny Appice says he was asked to join Ozzy Osbourne's band in 1979 -- before Black Sabbath called him to sit in for Bill Ward. Appice recalls, "I was still in Axis and I got a call from Sharon. She said, ‘We heard about you – we’d like to fly you to England and see how it works with Ozzy.’ I was a kid, probably 20 years old, and I heard Ozzy was crazy at that point. He was still drinking and being Ozzy.”

Vinny spoke to his older brother, Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, who also played Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart. "He said, 'Yeah, he’s pretty crazy.'"

A month later, Vinny got the call to audition for Sabbath. After working with Dio and the post-Sabbath band Heaven and Hell, he is currently leading Kill Devil Hill.