Meat Loaf – a life in pictures
]
Meat Loaf meets fans and signs a CD booklet before the release of his album Better Than We Are at HMV, Oxford Street, London, 8 September 2016
Photograph: Jo Hale/Redferns
Meat Loaf, ‘Bat out of Hell’ rock superstar, dies at 74
]
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.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Meat Loaf: Musician jokingly refused one ridiculous rebrand ‘No way in hell’
]
Frankie & Benny’s: Meat Loaf stars in new vegan menu advert
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Love Glastonbury? From tickets to headliners, sign up for latest updates from Worthy Farm We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Meat Loaf made his big-screen debut in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, quickly cementing himself as a star to watch. Upon the release of his debut album Bat Out of Hell in 1977, he was admired for his borderline-operatic rock anthems. For years he continued to surprise listeners with wild new ventures, from appearing in 1999’s Fight Club to even taking on a small role in Glee. Born Marvin Lee Aday, the most widely believed account of how he got his stage name was due to his weight, which topped 200 pounds in the eighth grade. Yet, after 70 years of repping the name, it was almost changed by Frankie & Benny’s no less, but the singer was clear he didn’t want to make the swap, saying: “I won’t do that.”
It’s Veganuary again, the month which supports the switch to the animal-free diet. Back in 2020, Meat Loaf had given up on his beef-eating days and switched to a vegetarian diet. While he never went fully vegan, the star did take part in the month which celebrated the free-from lifestyle. He also backed the month’s campaign, joining an ever-expanding list of celebrities to make the switch over to a meatless diet. Other plant-based stars include Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain, Madonna and Ariana Grande, just to name a few. However, Meat Loaf was confronted with a bridge too far by Frankie & Benny’s that same year, who wanted him to drop the Meat Loaf moniker. READ MORE: Dolly Parton stripped down for husband’s birthday in raunchy throwback
Meat Loaf: Passed away at the age of 74
Meat Loaf: Became vegetarian later in life
READ MORE Harry Potter star ‘would’ return for The Cursed Child film Instead, they pushed for the name Veg Loaf, but it was something he couldn’t consider. “When Frankie & Benny’s first approached me to rebrand to Veg Loaf I said no way in hell – I won’t do that.” (via. The Daily Star). The musician did still press the importance of the month though, adding: “I’d do anything for our planet and dropping meat for veg, even for just one day a week, can make a huge difference.” As part of his partnership with the company, Frankie & Benny’s released a tongue-in-cheek advert that joked about the idea. After its release, Elise Ash, director of strategy and brand at Frankie & Benny’s, said: “We wanted to encourage diners to swap meat for veg this January, so who better to sign up than one of the most recognised artists on the planet.”
Meat Loaf: Helped sponsor Veganuary
She added: “Funnily enough, our new video isn’t far off the original real-life pitch to Meat. While we couldn’t convince him to rebrand to Veg Loaf, we’re just delighted he’s the headline act for our new vegan menu and helping spread the word on the benefits of tucking into our meat-free dishes.” Clearly, Meat could see the funny side of the idea, though he was still serious about not changing his name. News of his passing was confirmed on the star’s Facebook page. The family left a statement for fans on January 21, 2022, with the musician dying the previous day. DON’T MISS…
Brian May makes acting debut ‘Very emotional experience, I got teary’ [INSIGHT]
The Beatles: Unseen George Martin footage on why he really signed them [EXPLAINER]
Next James Bond: Tom Hardy falls behind to fellow British star [INSIGHT]
Meat Loaf: Has sold 100 million records worldwide
Trending
Meat Loaf: Help rank the best ever songs from iconic singer
]
The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel
We have more newsletters
Thank you for subscribing
Something went wrong, please try again later.
Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter
Iconic singer and actor Meat Loaf has died at the age of 74.
Meat Loaf shot to fame in 1977 with the hit album Bat Out of Hell, which went on to become one of the biggest-selling records of all time.
He also starred in films such as Fight Club, 51st State and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
It’s for his music that he is most remembered though.
But which is his most loved song?
To find out, we have put all of the songs from ‘The Very Best of Meat Loaf’ into our ranking gadget.
Drag and drop your favourite Meat Loaf songs into the order of your preference, and we’ll reveal the nation’s favourite.
BWW Review: BAT OUT OF HELL, New Wimbledon Theatre
]
The songs of Meat Loaf and J.M Barrie’s story of Peter Pan are not an immediately obvious combination, but Bat Out Of Hell attempts to fuse these elements with hints of West Side Story, Rock Of Ages and Wagner-esque unrestrained theatricality.
In the futuristic and dystopian setting of a violent city, a group named The Lost remain permanently stuck at the age of 18. Their leader, Strat, falls in love with Raven, whose father rules the city with an iron fist and keeps her locked up in a high-rise tower. What follows is a schlocky and rather disjointed story of how Strat and Raven fight to be together while her parents’ marriage falls apart.
The late Jim Steinman, who wrote the music and lyrics for Meat Loaf’s trilogy of “Bat Out Of Hell” albums, clearly drew on his show Neverland. As with so many jukebox musicals, the plot is as thin as paper, with multiple plot lines that never develop. It may have been better if Steinman had got some help with the writing.
The fact is that the show is more about the music; this is not a great musical, but it is a good show. Steinman’s work is so theatrical and dramatic it sometimes verges on overblown, but the soaring drama of the music is well matched by the vocal talent on stage, even if there are frequent moments of silliness.
The often-shirtless Glenn Adamson gives a commanding performance as irreverent and pretentious street poet Strat; he almost vibrates with sinuous, manic energy; wide-eyed and sticking his tongue out too often. His voice does lack some of the raspy, rock qualities that might be expected in the role, but his range and power are impressive and build well throughout the show.
Martha Kirby is a sweet but steely Raven, who also builds up to a more striking performance in the second half. She spends a lot of time sprawling on the stage floor, but her soprano has a clean and pure quality and she gives a particularly touching rendition of “Heaven Can Wait”, performed when she believes Strat is dead.
There is a lack of chemistry between the young pair, often overshadowed by the more interesting cavorting of Raven’s parents. Rob Fowler as Falco and Sharon Sexton as his long-suffering wife Sloane get some of the best of the action, visibly struggling with the disintegration of their once-vibrant love affair. Fowler and Sexton both have great voices and make the most of having the most depth to their characters.
The music is heaven for any Meat Loaf fan. A highlight is “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”, which was sung by Meat Loaf as a duet with Marion Raven on Bat Out of Hell III, which works incredibly well as a rousingly melodramatic quartet for the lovers and her parents. The live band is on excellent and very loud form.
The hard-working ensemble is given quite a few individual opportunities to shine. Joelle Moses is woefully underwritten as a character as Zahara, but her voice is a standout with its soulful tone and controlled power. She is teamed nicely with James Chisholm as the confident Jagwire.
Visually, director Jay Scheib creates a dynamic show with some lightly comic moments involving hand santiser and musicians with broken instruments climbing out of the orchestra pit after an accident with an engine. This is aided by Jon Bausor’s elegantly wasted set and Finn Ross’s clever video design. However, against the background of smoke, fire and strobing lights, Xena Gusthart’s incredibly stilted choreography looks awkward and lacklustre; it seems very odd that this crucial element has not been updated during the years that this show has been running.
There is certainly not enough of a storyline to sustain the two and half hour show, but there is huge energy in the performances and the music is loud and brash enough to both entertain and enliven.
Bat Out Of Hell is at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 29 January, then touring
Photo Credit: Clive Davis Studio