Cactus (American band) Cactus (American band) Cactus is an American hard rock band formed in 1969. It is composed of 5 members, Jimmy Kunes as lead singer (2006–present), Jim McCarty on the guitar (1970–71, 2006–present), Carmine Appice on the drums, Pete Bremy on the bass and Randy Pratt on the harmonica. Cactus was initially conceived in late 1969 by former Vanilla Fudge members bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice after plans to team up with guitarist Jeff Beck were scuppered when Beck had an automobile accident and was out of the music scene for over a year. In early 1970, Bogert and
Vanilla Fudge moved on to The Younger Brothers Band and Bogert became very impressed with a young drummer named Carmine Appice he'd heard playing at the Headliner Club on 43rd Street in a cover band called Thursday's Children. Appice was asked to join The Pigeons and in his 2016 autobiography, "Stick It!", Carmine explained the name change to "Vanilla Fudge": "In April 1967 the Pigeons got signed to Atlantic Records. But there was one drawback, however: Atlantic didn't want to sign a band called "The Pigeons". "Ahmet Ertegun, the label's founder and president, didn't like that name and told us we had