Carmine Appice on Prince, Ozzy, and Six Decades of Rock History

From rock’s golden era to a surprise encounter with Prince, the iconic drummer shares untold stories from the road, the studio, and six decades of music history

From the LifeMinute.tv Team

June 16, 2026

Iconic drummer Carmine Appice has lived the kind of life most musicians only dream about. Sitting down with Joann Butler on Joann Butler In Studio With..., he shared stories spanning six decades of rock history—from his groundbreaking work with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, and Beck, Bogert & Appice to co-writing Rod Stewart classics “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Young Turks”—while crossing paths with everyone from Prince and Ozzy Osbourne to John Bonham and John Lennon. 

The conversation was packed with unforgettable moments. Appice spoke about Ozzy Osbourne, calling him “a good guy,” and recalled the surreal experience of discovering Prince in his own home, laughing, “Prince was in my bed,” while describing him as shy offstage, but magnetic onstage. 

There’s also a classic story about his younger brother, Vinny Appice. After working around John Lennon as a teenager and joining Rick Derringer's band, Vinny ended up touring with Aerosmith at just 16 years old. When a teacher woke him up in class and asked why he was tired, Vinny’s response was priceless: "Is anyone else in the class working with John Lennon?"

From Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, to Rod Stewart and Prince, Appice's stories are a masterclass in rock-and-roll history. He also shared updates on his current work, including Cactus' recently released Temple of the Blues II, and a new music video featuring Dee Snider, proving that more than six decades into his career, he's still making new music.

This is a LifeMinute with Carmine Appice.