- From psychedelic roots to hard rock royalty — the drummer whose power and precision shaped decades of rock history
Carmine Appice is a legendary American rock drummer born on December 15, 1946. Known for his powerful technique and dynamic stage presence, he rose to fame with the psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge in the late 1960s. Appice went on to form Cactus and Beck, Bogert & Appice, later joining Rod Stewart's band and co-writing several of Stewart’s biggest hits. His versatile drumming also appears on albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Pink Floyd, King Kobra, and Blue Murder.
Appice received classical music training, and was influenced early on by the work of jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. Appice first came to prominence as the drummer with the late 1960s psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge. He contributed distinctive background harmonies with bassist Tim Bogert. After five albums, the pair left Vanilla Fudge to form the blues rock quartet Cactus, with vocalist Rusty Day and guitarist Jim McCarty.
In 1972, Appice and Bogert formed the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck. The band released two albums, Beck, Bogert & Appice (1972) and Triumvirate (1974), before disbanding.
In 1976, Appice joined Rod Stewart's band, touring, recording, and writing two of Stewart's biggest hits, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and "Young Turks". He left Stewart to record his first solo album, Rockers (1977), and tour Japan and North America with an all-star band.
In the early 1980s, Appice toured with Ozzy Osbourne and Ted Nugent. In the mid-1980s, he formed King Kobra for two Capitol albums and international touring. And in the late 1980s, Carmine played on a Pink Floyd record Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and formed Blue Murder with Whitesnake's John Sykes and The Firm's Tony Franklin.
In the 1990s, Appice continued to record and tour with various artists, including Leslie West, Jeff Beck, and Vanilla Fudge. He also released several solo albums, including Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus (2019) and Energy Overload (2021).
Appice is a highly respected drummer who has been praised for his technical skill, versatility, and creativity. He is considered one of the most influential drummers in rock history and has been inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame (2013) and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (2014).
Appice is married to radio personality Leslie Gold and lives in New York City. He has two children from a previous marriage.
Here are some of Carmine Appice's most notable achievements: