Bio

When Roxy Petrucci plays drums, you instantly feel it. The aftershocks of her patented hard-hitting, yet smooth signature style continue to reverberate through hard rock and heavy metal decades since her emergence behind the kit of Madam X and the gold-selling Vixen. Along the way, the award-winning
drummer has performed to packed arenas and festivals, jammed with a myriad of legends, and appeared on classic programs such as VH1’s Bands Reunited and MTV Unplugged.

Whether on the throne for Vixen or solo, she plays with just as much power, poise, and passion as ever.

“When I initially started, there weren’t very many girls playing drums,” she recalls. “I remember my dad said, ‘Don’t be afraid to hit those things’. He never considered drums ‘a boys’ instrument;’ he always made me believe I could do it. Early on, I learned music has to move you. If I lay down a solid groove, it’s
going to make the rest of the band play better since there’s a foundation. So, I’m always going to lay down a groove so heavy and solid it will drop you to your knees. I hit hard, because I don’t know any other way,” she smiles.

Growing up in Michigan as one of five siblings, her proud Italian family encouraged music. She initially excelled at clarinet, but the drums called to her at 14-years-old. Her sister Maxine picked up the guitar, and Roxy instinctually grabbed the sticks. Inspired by the likes of Karen Carpenter, Alice de Buhr, John
Bonham, and Bill Ward she honed her technique through drum lessons and jazz band. At the same time, she and Maxine jammed constantly in their own all-female group. Following high school, Roxy achieved a scholarship to Oakland University for clarinet and shined as part of the concert band.

However, rock ‘n’ roll would never be too far away…

“I lasted a year in school, because I was playing drums in a bar band called Black Lace at the same time,” she goes on. “I’d rehearse with the school concert band, change into leather, go the club, and play until two in the morning. Finally, it was either, ‘Stay in college and get a degree or go on the road and be a rockstar’. I chose the latter.”

She cut her teeth in Madam X, powering the cult favorite 1984 debut We Reserve The Right. Two years later, she joined Vixen and carved out a spot in the heavy metal pantheon. The band’s seminal self-titled
debut, Vixen, arrived in 1988. Richard Marx and Fee Waybill co-wrote their hit “Edge of a Broken Heart,” and the LP reached RIAA gold status and moved over 1 million copies worldwide. In retrospect, Rolling Stone hailed it as one of the “50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time.” Their iconic videos retained a
stronghold in the Top 10 rotation of both Headbanger’s Ball and MTV. On the drums for Vixen, Roxy notably shared stages with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Scorpions to Bon Jovi, KISS, and Deep Purple. Plus, their sophomore offering Rev It Up spawned two Billboard Hot 100 hits. In between Vixen’s
dormancy and subsequent rebirth, she expanded her imprint across rock music. She appeared at the Cape Breton International Drum Festival in 2010, receiving a “Legends Award” alongside the likes of Carmine Appice, Alan White, and Virgil Donati. She launched VIP After show with Maxine, serving up a fitting tribute to Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister entitled “Kilmister.” 2017 saw Vixen unveil the live
album, Live Fire, highlighted by a bonus studio recording of “You Ought To Know by Now.” During 2023, Vixen surged back with “Red,” generating half-a-millions streams and counting right out of the gate. Eddie Trunk personally premiered it on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk,” while Metal Edge
hailed it as “high-octane.” 

 

In the end, Roxy’s hitting as hard as ever in 2024 and beyond.

 

"It took me a long time to get here, yet here I am,” she leaves off. “I'm still playing because it still feels like I'm just playing."