Meat Loaf, ‘Bat out of Hell’ rock superstar, dies at 74

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NEW YORK (AP) — Meat Loaf, the heavyweight rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” has died. He was 74.

The singer born Marvin Lee Aday died Thursday, according to a family statement provided by his longtime agent Michael Greene.

“Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight,” the statement said. “We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man… From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!”

No cause or other details were given, but Aday had numerous health scares over the years.

“Bat Out of Hell,” his mega-selling collaboration with songwriter Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren, came out in 1977 and made him one of the most recognizable performers in rock. Fans fell hard for the roaring vocals of the long-haired, 250-plus pound singer and for the comic non-romance of the title track, “You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” an operatic cautionary tale about going all the way. “Paradise” was a duet with Ellen Foley that featured play by play from New York Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto, who alleged — to much skepticism — that he was unaware of any alternate meanings to reaching third base and heading for home.

After a slow start and mixed reviews, “Bat Out of Hell” became one of the top-selling albums in history, with worldwide sales of more than 40 million copies. Meat Loaf wasn’t a consistent hit maker, especially after falling out for years with Steinman. But he maintained close ties with his fans through his manic live shows, social media and his many television, radio and film appearances, including “Fight Club” and cameos on “Glee” and “South Park.”

Friends and fans reacted to the death on social media.

“I hope paradise is as you remember it from the dashboard light, Meat Loaf,” actor Stephen Fry said on Twitter.

Meat Loaf’s biggest musical success after “Bat Out of Hell” was “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell,” a 1993 reunion with Steinman that sold more than 15 million copies and featured the Grammy-winning single “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”

Steinman died in April.

Aday’s other albums included “Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose,” “Hell in a Handbasket” and “Braver Than We Are.”

A native of Dallas, Aday was the son of a school teacher who raised him on her own after divorcing his alcoholic father, a police officer. Aday was singing and acting in high school (Mick Jagger was an early favorite, so was Ethel Merman) and attended Lubbock Christian College and what is now the University of North Texas. Among his more notable childhood memories: Seeing John F. Kennedy arrive at Love Field in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, then learning the president had been assassinated and driving to Parkland Hospital and watching a bloodied Jackie Kennedy step out of a car.

He was still a teenager when his mother died and when he acquired the nickname Meat Loaf, the alleged origins of which range from his weight to a favorite recipe of his mother’s. He left for Los Angeles after college and was soon fronting the band Meat Loaf Soul. For years, he alternated between music and the stage, recording briefly for Motown, opening for such acts as the Who and the Grateful Dead and appearing in the Broadway production of “Hair.”

By the mid-1970s, he was playing the lobotomized biker Eddie in the theater and film versions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” had served as an understudy for his friend John Belushi for the stage production of National Lampoon and had begun working with Steinman on “Bat Out of Hell.” The dense, pounding production was openly influenced by Wagner, Phil Spector and Bruce Springsteen, whose bandmates Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg played on the record. Rundgren initially thought of the album as a parody of Springsteen’s grandiose style.

Steinman had known Meat Loaf since the singer appeared in his 1973 musical “More Than You Deserve” and some of the songs on “Bat Out of Hell,” including “All Revved Up With No Place to Go,” were initially written for a planned stage show based on the story of Peter Pan. “Bat Out of Hell” took more than two years to find a taker as numerous record executives turned it down, including RCA’s Clive Davis, who disparaged Steinman’s songs and acknowledged that he had misjudged the singer: “The songs were coming over as very theatrical, and Meat Loaf, despite a powerful voice, just didn’t look like a star,” Davis wrote in his memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life.”

With the help of another Springsteen sideman, Steve Van Zandt, “Bat Out of Hell” was acquired by Cleveland International, a subsidiary of Epic Records. The album made little impact until months after its release, when a concert video of the title track was aired on the British program the Old Grey Whistle Test. In the U.S., his connection to “Rocky Horror” helped when he convinced producer Lou Adler to use a video for “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” as a trailer for the cult movie. But Meat Loaf was so little known at first that he began his “Bat Out of Hell” tour in Chicago as the opening act for Cheap Trick, then one of the world’s hottest groups.

“I remember pulling up at the theater and it says, ‘TONIGHT: CHEAP TRICK, WITH MEAT LOAF.’ And I said to myself, ‘These people think we’re serving dinner,’” Meat Loaf explained in 2013 on the syndicated radio show “In the Studio.”

“And we walk out on stage and these people were such Cheap Trick fans they booed us from the start. They were getting up and giving us the finger. The first six rows stood up and screamed. … When we finished, most of the boos had stopped and we were almost getting applause.”

He is survived by Deborah Gillespie, his wife since 2007, and by daughters Pearl and Amanda Aday.

AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

Singer Meat Loaf dead, aged 74

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news, local-news,

US singer Meat Loaf has died aged 74 with his wife by his side, a statement on the artist’s official Facebook page says. “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side. Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him throughout the last 24 hours,” the statement said. “His amazing career spanned six decades that saw him sell over 100 million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including Fight Club, Focus, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World. Bat Out of Hell remains one of the top 10 selling albums of all time. “We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man,” the Facebook statement said. “We thank you for your understanding of our need for privacy at this time. “From his heart to your souls … don’t ever stop rocking!” The singer, whose real name is Marvin Lee Aday, was born in Dallas. Meat Loaf’s two biggest albums - 1977’s Bat out of Hell and the 1993 follow-up Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell - produced numerous hit singles including Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad and I’ll Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That). He also won a Grammy in 1993 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song I’d Do Anything for Love. Australian Associated Press

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WATCH Singer Meat Loaf dead, aged 74

Meat Loaf, ‘Bat out of Hell’ rock superstar, dies at 74

]

Meat Loaf, the rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” has died at age 74.

A family statement on his official Facebook page says the singer born Marvin Lee Aday died Thursday night.

“Bat Out of a Hell,” his mega-selling collaboration with songwriter Jim Steinman, came out in 1977 and became one of the best-selling records in history.

He was also known for his role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the 1993 single “I’d Do Anything for Love.”

March for Life, Biden-Japan PM meeting, Meat Loaf dies: 5 things to know Friday

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March for Life 2022 expected to bring crowd to National Mall

Anti-abortion activists will take to downtown Washington D.C. Friday for the 49th annual March for Life event, held every year on the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. The rally will begin at noon on the National Mall including a live concert and remarks from speakers, followed by a 1 p.m. march from Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Supreme Court building. Speakers at this year’s event include actor Kirk Cameron, best known for his role on the sitcom Growing Pains; Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La.; Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.; Toni McFadden, founder of Relationship Matters, a youth education program, and Lisa Robertson of the reality show “Duck Dynasty,” among others.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast:

Biden, new Japanese prime minister to meet virtually

President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold their first formal talks on Friday as the two leaders face fresh concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program and China’s growing military assertiveness. The virtual meeting comes after North Korea earlier this week suggested it might resume nuclear and long-range missile testing that has been paused for more than three years. Kishida was elected in November – the two leaders will be meeting for the first time. In April, Biden met in person with then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who traveled to Washington.

Rock superstar Meat Loaf dies at age 74

Meat Loaf, the rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” has died. He was 74. The singer born Marvin Lee Aday passed away Thursday, according to a family statement posted on his official Facebook page. No cause or other details were given, but Aday had numerous health scares over the years. “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight,” the statement said. “We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man… From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!” He is survived by Deborah Gillespie, his wife since 2007, and by daughters Pearl and Amanda Aday.

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Meat Loaf performs on stage in the Netherlands in May 2013.

Blinken meets with Russian Foreign Minister in person

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Geneva on Friday. It follows a trip to Ukraine, where Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in the capital of Kyiv, stating that the U.S. and its allies were steadfast in backing the country and its democratic aspirations amid growing fears of a potentially imminent Russian invasion. Blinken’s meeting with Lavrov is aimed at testing Russia’s willingness to resolve the crisis diplomatically, officials said. Blinken spoke to the Russian foreign minister by phone on Tuesday, when Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia expects a written response this week from the U.S. and its allies to Moscow’s request for binding guarantees that NATO will not embrace Ukraine or any other ex-Soviet countries or station its forces and weapons there. Blinken underscored to Lavrov on Tuesday that any discussion of European security “must include NATO Allies and European partners, including Ukraine,” the State Department said.

Parts of Southeast await a blast of winter weather

Several schools have canceled classes in coastal areas of the Carolinas and Virginia and authorities are urging drivers to stay off potentially icy roads amid forecasts of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of the latest winter storm system sweeping into the region Thursday and a round of snow expected to follow Friday night into Saturday. The wintry blast could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia, the National Weather Service said. Much of the region has been slammed by a series of snow and ice events in the last three weeks, sometimes dumping more than a foot of snow in areas that often don’t see that much all year. Winter storm warnings and advisories remained in effect for more than 25 million Americans, the vast majority in the South.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March for Life, Meat Loaf dies: 5 things to know Friday

Meat Loaf death: Bat Out of Hell singer dies aged 74

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Meat Loaf, the legendary singer of hits such as “I’d Do Anything for Love” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”, has died aged 74.

The Grammy winner, born Marvin Lee Aday, died on Thursday night (20 January). The cause of his death has not been disclosed.

A post on his official Facebook page read: “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side. Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him throughout the last 24 hours…

“We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man.

“We thank you for your understanding of our need for privacy at this time. From his heart to your souls… don’t ever stop rocking!”

Follow the latest updates on The Independent’s live blog here.

The star – whose stage name Meat Loaf was inspired by a nickname coined by his football coach – was born in Dallas in 1947, the only child of Wilma Artie, a school teacher and member of the Vo-di-o-do Girls gospel quartet, and Orvis Wesley Aday, a former police officer who went into business selling a homemade cough remedy.

His career as a musician first began in the late Sixties when he formed his first band, Meat Loaf Soul. The group’s first show was supporting Van Morrison’s band Them.

Meat Loaf’s debut album, 1977’s Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman, is among the 35 best-selling albums in US history, having sold 14 million copies.

Its singles “Two of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, which peaked at No 11 and No 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, were both certified platinum in 2018.

Meat Loaf went on to make two more records in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy: Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006).

In 1994, Meat Loaf won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo for “I’d Do Anything for Love”.

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Meat Loaf, known for his forceful vocals and theatrical performances, released 12 albums in total, including 1981’s Dead Ringer, 2003’s Couldn’t Have Said it Better, and his latest record, 2016’s Braver Than We Are.

The singer starred in dozens of movies during his six-decade career, most famously appearing in the 1975 film version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as Eddie, a motorcycle-riding, eccentric and hapless ex-delivery boy who belts out the hit “Hot Patootie”.

The film, which also starred Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry, has become a cult classic.

Meat Loaf also appeared in the 1997 Spice Girls movie Spice World, as well as popular releases Fight Club and Wayne’s World.

Tributes for Meat Loaf have been pouring in from the world of entertainment, with Stephen Fry tweeting a reference to one of his songs. “I hope paradise is as you remember it from the dashboard light, Meat Loaf,” he wrote.

“Had a fun time performing a sketch with him on Saturday Live way back in the last century. He had the quality of being simultaneously frightening and cuddly, which is rare and rather wonderful.”