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Artist News
Meat Loaf dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 21 January 2022
Meaf Loaf has died, aged 74. No cause of death has been announced, although he is known to have been in ill health in recent years.
In a statement posted on Facebook, his family said: “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda, and close friends”.
“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”, they concluded. “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!”
Meat Loaf was born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas in 1947. Although he told numerous stories of how he came to be known as Meat Loaf, the most plausible is that he was known as Meat and later Meat Loaf as a child due to his large size.
However, he also claimed that he once lost a bet over whether or not his head would ‘turn into meat loaf’ if run over by a car, and that he was involved in a plane crash and when he woke up in hospital the only word he could say was “meat”. In 2003, he admitted that questions about his name bored him so much that he would “continually lie”.
He formed his first band, Meat Loaf Soul, in LA in 1968. Later becoming known as Floating Circus, they had some success, but the real turning point in Meat Loaf’s career was when he joined the LA cast of the musical ‘Hair’. Off the back of the success of that show, he was offered a record deal by Motown and teamed up with singer Shaun ‘Stoney’ Murphy.
They released one album together, ‘Stoney & Meat Loaf’, in 1971, but due to disputes with the label he subsequently returned to musical theatre, including joining that cast of ‘Hair’ on Broadway and the original US cast of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ back in LA, later appearing in the film version of the latter, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’.
It was at an audition for a theatrical show that Meat Loaf first met composer Jim Steinman. The pair began working on an album together – ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ – in 1972, but failed to gain interest from record labels. Eventually they performed some songs for Todd Rundgren, who offered to produce the album. But, once recorded, they still struggled to impress record labels with it.
Eventually they signed to newly founded indie label Cleveland International Records and released the album in 1977. It went on to be one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling more than 40 million copies worldwide.
Meat Loaf did not release another album until 1981, having been unable to record what was supposed to be the follow-up – Steinman’s ‘Bad For Good’ – after losing his voice. However, he and Steinman eventually teamed up again for ‘Dead Ringer’, which was another success – although not critically acclaimed – spawning singles including UK top five single ‘Dead Ringer For Love’, featuring Cher.
Throughout the 80s subsequent albums were less successful – his recording career not aided by a falling out with Steinman. However, they later reunited and released ‘Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell’ in 1993. That album sold more than fifteen million copies and included the massive hit single ‘I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).
A third ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ album was released in 2006, following a legal battle between Meat Loaf and Steinman, related to Steinman registering the title phrase as a trademark in the mid-90s. They eventually reached a settlement and – although Steinman didn’t produce the third ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ record – he did write half of the songs on it, including ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’, which was a hit in the UK. However, the album itself did not match the success of its predecessors.
In total, Meat Loaf released twelve albums during his career, most recently ‘Braver Than We Are’ in 2016 – his last collaboration with Steinman, who died in 2021. In November last year, he said that he would be returning to the studiothis month to begin recording his next LP. Those sessions were scheduled to begin on 4 Jan, although it is not clear if any recording ever took place.
As well as recording and performing as a musician, Meat Loaf had a concurrent career as an actor, appearing in films including ‘Fight Club’, ‘Wayne’s World’ and ‘Spice World’, as well as the aforementioned ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’.
