VINNY APPICE Doesn't Know Why He Wasn't Asked To Take Part In BLACK SABBATH's Final Tour

Legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, LAST IN LINE) was interviewed on a recent installment of the "Music Mania" podcast. You can now listen the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if he was ever contacted about getting involved in playing drums for BLACK SABBATH on the band's "The End" tour, Vinny said: "I didn't get asked to do anything. You know, it was, like, 'Okay…'

"After [SABBATH offshoot band] HEAVEN & HELL [ended following singer Ronnie James Dio's death], [BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler] got back together with [singer] Ozzy [Osbourne], and they got a different producer, Rick Rubin. And, you know, there's different people around them. So it wasn't, like, 'Well, we wanna get Vinny.' I don't know who recommended whoever played drums on the album [RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk]; I think that might have came from Rick Rubin. So that's the way things happen in this business. Different people around a band influence what decisions are made."

He added: "They never asked me. I don't know why. And I don't ask, because all the times I've been in the band, they've always called. They know my number; they know how to get hold of me. And that's fine. I'm still friends with Tony. I still keep in touch with Tony and Geezer, and I love them, and they're still family. But they didn't call me for the tour. That's cool with me. But I'm just glad they're still out there playing."

Vinny also talked about the fact that original SABBATH drummer Bill Ward was involved with the band's reunion when it was first announced in late 2011, only to drop out a couple of months later over what Bill called contractual issues.

"It's a shame Bill's not there, but it didn't work out," Vinny said. "I don't know what went down between Bill and the management, but it never got ironed out, or sorted out, and therefore Bill's not involved. Being that this is their last tour, probably a lot of people would like to see the original band with Bill, even if it was for a couple of songs. And they're all still alive. A lot of bands are not… complete anymore. People are getting older or dying. They're one of the bands that are still all breathing. And it would have cool to see them together. But, you know, those decisions are made between the management and the band, and that's the way it works."

Appice joined BLACK SABBATH in 1980 during the "Heaven And Hell" tour and appeared on the albums "Live Evil" (1982) and "Mob Rules" (1981) . In late 1982 he left BLACK SABBATH 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. In 1992, he returned to BLACK SABBATH for the "Dehumanizer" album and tour. He then rejoined DIO and they recorded "Strange Highways" (1994) and "Angry Machines" (1996).

Appice rejoined his BLACK SABBATH bandmates Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi in 2006 as HEAVEN & HELL, touring and releasing one studio album, "The Devil You Know", before Dio's death in 2010.