 When American drummer Buddy Rich, one of Verrell's heroes, guested on the show, Verrell (as Animal) had a drumming duel with Rich, and won after Animal smashed a snare drum over Rich's head.In the mid-1990s, Verrell formed his own band, a quintet he modelled after Benny Goodman's band.Several years later Verrell was involved in a serious road accident that forced him to stop performing for almost a year.