DRUMMER VINNY APPICE SAYS HE DOES NOT THINK GUITARIST VIVIAN CAMPBELL WILL EVER MEND FENCES WITH WENDY DIO
Drummer Vinny Appice was a recent guest on Eddie’s Sirius/XM show, Trunk Nation, where he discussed former Dio, and current Def Leppard guitarist, Vivian Campbell’s relationship with Ronnie’s former wife, and manager, Wendy Dio.
When Eddie asked if he thinks there can ever be a mending of the fences between Campbell and Wendy, Appice replied (via blabbermouth.net), “I think it’s probably too much water under the bridge for that. That’s a question for Viv. For a long time, Viv didn’t wanna really play Dio songs or anything. It was just there. And now he accepted the fact that this is part of his history. He came into this and he became a guitar player in this band and he blew everybody away and it is part of his history. So I think [the formation of the band Last In Line] was a big step — probably the big and final step you’re gonna get. [Laughs] There’s still some other problems [between Vivian and Dio] — business problems — sitting there that are not worked out. So I think this is as close as it ever will get.”
The drummer added, “I think [a reconciliation] would have happened maybe if Ronnie was alive. Because musically, it was between Viv and Ronnie. [But then] Ronnie fired Viv because of business — there was business issues. And the businesses were bound to Wendy… And Viv was right in what happened and what he believed in. Because, in a nutshell, we were promised the moon, and it didn’t happen. So that’s basically what happened, and that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.”
RJD was a god.
In my opinion possibly the greatest hard rock/ metal singer to ever hold a mic.
And if I was to list the 100 greatest metal albums of all times, those first three Dio albums would all make my list…(along with the first three Rainbow albums..and the first two he made with Sabbath).
That being said, Vivian Campbell got a raw deal.. he was royally screwed over by RJD….it’s documented and irrefutable.
There is a youtube video of Ronnie back in the day absolutely trashing Vivian to fans while he’s signing autographs. I thought that was in really poor taste.
There was some mudslinging on both of their parts but RJD was absolutely brutal.
Vivian Campbell made more money playing in Whitesnake and Def Leppard than RJD would have ever paid him.
And in my opinion Dio was never the same without him.
Not even close.
TM, I saw that video too, and RJD’s viciousness surprised me. Doug Aldrich revealed on Eddie’s show a few years ago that when he gave notice to Dio that he was taking the Whitesnake gig, Dio took it very personally and aggressively – I guess he had a real vendetta against Coverdale, probably because that was Viv’s first major gig after he fired Viv.
It would seem that Wendy and Ronnie ran their organization not too differently from how Ozzy and Sharon run theirs.
“It would seem that Wendy and Ronnie ran their organization not too differently from how Ozzy and Sharon run theirs.”
^^ And that’s the problem!
Jacking over the talent for “gree-go” (greed + ego, just made that up)
You hit the nail on the head MikeyMan.
I’d like to see that video you all are referencing. Always loved Vivian’s axe and stage presence. First time I saw him was when I was 15 seeing Whitesnake’s show opener for the Crue’s Girls Tour in Roanoke, VA Sept.2, 1987. What a great show that was. Tommy Aldridge and that line-up were awesome to this Canadian teen who moved to bummed fuk Pulaski, VA where I literally lived on Old Coal Miner’s road back in the cola mine area-ha! Now that I think of it, that was my first hard rock/metal concert. \MM/
Not sure why these guys get treated like they do all in the name of business. Bunch of ego driven BS-greed-go, right?!?! Coverdale has always reeked of that persona, sad to know Ronnie was similar. Maybe they picked it up from Richie Blackmore?