Was Carmine Appice called to replace John Bonham?

Carmine Appice responded to rumors that he had been asked to join the Led Zeppelin after the passing of John Bonham in 1980.

The drummer, known for his work with groups such as Vanilla Fudge and Cactus, addressed the issue again during a recent interview on the “Talk Louder” podcast, explaining that there has been a lot of talk about this possibility over the years.

Appice said that his name was actually taken into consideration, especially because of the relationship of mutual respect with Bonhamwho had always indicated him as one of his main sources of inspiration. However, he clarified that there was never a real formal proposal from the band.

According to the musician, there were informal contacts and conversations around the idea, but nothing that ever materialized into an official invitation to join the group. He also highlighted how, after the loss of Bonham, Led Zeppelin retained impossible move forward without him, thus arriving at the decision to disband rather than look for a stable replacement.

Appice recognized Bonham’s enormous importance in the band’s history and sonic identity, noting that taking his place would have been a virtually unachievable task for anyone.