Meat Loaf, Iconic Singer And Actor, Is Dead
The legendary Meat Loaf, the creator of the bestselling album Bat Out of Hell, has sadly passed away at the age of 74.
After the demise of Betty White and Bob Saget, the world has lost yet another gem. Meat Loaf, creator of the iconic bestselling album Bat Out of Hell and best known for his memorable roles in films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fight Club, died Thursday. The famous singer was 74 and was working on a new album with his band but he passed away without recording any of the seven songs he had planned to include in the album.
As reported by Deadline, Meat Loaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, passed away during the night on Thursday and was surrounded by his close friends, his wife Deborah, and his daughters Pearl and Amanda. In their statement, Meat Loaf’s family has expressed their gratitude for the love the late singer received from his fans across the world. His family has conveyed their need for privacy at a time when they are processing their grief of losing “such an inspiring and beautiful man.” “From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!” they have shared in their statement.
While an official reason behind Meat Loaf’s sudden demise is yet to be revealed, TMZ has reported that the singer was suffering from COVID-19. He was working on his show, I’d Do Anything For Love and reportedly, he was going to attend a business meeting regarding the same earlier this week. But the meetup was canceled after he started showing severe symptoms of COVID. As per the outlet, his condition deteriorated quickly from there and led to his demise on Thursday.
The highlight of Meat Loaf’s acting career was his role as the wild Eddie, an unlucky delivery boy who became a victim of circumstances, as well as the character of Dr. Everett Scott in the 1973 musical, The Rocky Horror Show. As the musical ended up being a success, it was adapted as the film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in 1975. Though Meat Loaf only returned as Eddie, he became the true star of the cult classic with his memorable performance. He has also appeared in films like Roadie, Outside Ozona, Americathon, Crazy in Alabama, Stage Fright, Leap of Faith, Wishin’ and ‘Hopin’, Spice World, as well as the 2017 series Ghost Wars. He has also hosted the popular VH1 music series, The List, many times.
As for his career as a singer, Meat Loaf had created many best-selling, hit songs after he decided to give his theatrical career a backseat and focus on his passion for music in 1974. He started working on his iconic album, Bat Out of Hell, with Jim Steinman, who wrote and produced it. They faced many difficulties in releasing the album as it was rejected by many record companies until Cleveland International Records decided to take the risk and released Bat Out of Hell in 1977. It soon became a hit and has sold an estimated 43 million copies globally to date, with over 14 million sold in the U.S. alone!
Bat Out Of Hell peaked on album charts overseas as well- it spent more than 10 years on the UK album chart- and is one of the best-selling albums in history. His subsequent albums include, like Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, Dead Singer, Midnight at the Lost and Found, Welcome to the Neighbourhood, etc. Bat Out Of Hell II’s platinum lead single, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” is considered Meat Loaf’s biggest hit, which won him the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo in 1994.
