VINNY APPICE Says People Who 'Confirmed' JIMMY BAIN's Death On Internet Had No Business Doing So

Former DIO and BLACK SABBATH drummer Vinny Appice has voiced his displeasure over the fact that his LAST IN LINE bandmate Jimmy Bain's death was "confirmed" via social media before the group had a chance to break the news to Bain's family.

Bain died over the weekend at the age of 68. He passed away while the DIO offshoot band LAST IN LINE was taking part in DEF LEPPARD's "Hysteria On The High Seas" cruise. No cause of death has been revealed, although it has been reported that he was ill for some time.

Among the first industry people to report Bain's passing Saturday night (January 23) were ex-DIO drummer Simon Wright and Diana Deville, a former employee of Wendy Dio's Niji Management.

Writing on his Facebook page, Vinny said: "Yes, it's true our brother Jimmy Bain has passed and we are very sad about the news and in shock. We, the band, are also saddened that the news leaked out before we were able to contact Jimmy's family. Within an hour and a half, it was all over the Internet and confirmed by people that have no business confirming anything about this and not knowing the facts of the situation. We apologize to Jimmy's family and Jimmy's memory about this nonsense that seems to prevail on the Internet to be the first one to post something and attach themselves to a tragedy like the loss of our brother Jimmy."

The surviving members of LAST IN LINE held a public remembrance of Bain while still at sea, with "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk as the emcee. The band shared videos, a slideshow and stories about Bain during the event, and also played songs in his honor. "It was tough for all, but handled the best it could be," Trunk wrote on Facebook.

Bain, along with Appice and guitarist Vivian Campbell, was part of the original DIO lineup, which reunited in 2012 alongside singer Andrew Freeman to form LAST IN LINE.

Bain had battled addiction issues throughout his life and has been to rehab on several occasions. In 2012 he was arrested for driving while drunk. He was also cited for possession of Vicodin pills without a valid prescription.

LAST IN LINE will release its debut album, "Heavy Crown", on February 19 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Southern California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.