An American musician, primarily known as a drummer but also a flautist, keyboardist and singer, who has played with many of the top names in music during a career dating back to the 1970s.

Vitale started as part of an Ohio band called the Chylds and attended Kent State University during the 1970 shootings. His first national break was being hired by Ted Nugent for a role in the Amboy Dukes in 1971. In the fall of 1971, Vitale was invited by his former Kent State classmate Joe Walsh to join Barnstorm, a new group being formed by Walsh in Colorado. The group recorded three albums together and Vitale and Walsh began a longterm partnership, although Barnstorm broke up in 1974.

After the breakup, Vitale was the temporary original drummer for the Michael Stanley Band and recorded his first solo album, 1974's Roller Coaster Weekend, with guitar solos contributed by Walsh, Rick Derringer and Phil Keaggy. He then joined the Stills-Young Band for the Long May You Run sessions. Later, Vitale became one of the musicians that Crosby, Stills & Nash regularly record and tour with, beginning with the CSN album and continuing to the present day. He has also co-produced and contributed songs to Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as to solo efforts by Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

Meanwhile, Vitale's longtime partner Walsh became part of the Eagles, and Vitale became part of the Eagles' road band on drums and keyboards, appearing on 1980's Eagles Live. For Vitale's second solo album, Plantation Harbor, also recorded in 1980, Don Felder also appeared along with Walsh on guitars, and Stephen Stills co-wrote a couple of songs. A Walsh/Vitale song, Pretty Maids All in a Row, appears on the Eagles' Hotel California album. He continued to appear on Walsh solo albums into the early 1990s.