Vinny Appice "Sweet Evil" (1977), and "Derringer Live" (1977), before forming his own band Axis and recording "It's A Circus World" (1978). Appice joined Black Sabbath during the tour in support of the "Heaven and Hell" album in 1980. He was quickly brought in to replace original drummer Bill Ward, who quit the band mid-tour due to personal issues. Appice arrived for his first show with Black Sabbath at the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii with his entire drum kit packed into the back of a car. He was forced to learn the band's songs on stage, using hastily written crib notes for
Vinny Appice each unfamiliar song. A sudden rain storm made the ink run on Vinny's notes. According to an interview conducted at NAMM in 2012, Vinny stated that at the end of the show during the bows he tossed the notebook into the crowd. Appice subsequently appeared on the Black Sabbath albums "Mob Rules" (1981) and "Live Evil" (1982). In late 1982 he left Black Sabbath along with vocalist Ronnie James Dio and formed the band Dio. They recorded "Holy Diver" (1983), "The Last in Line" (1984), "Sacred Heart" (1985), "Intermission" (1986), and "Dream Evil" (1987). In December 1989 Appice left Dio