Meat loaf

Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; Dallas, Texas, September 27, 1947-Nashville, Tennessee, January 20, 2022), more known as Meat Loaf, he was an American singer-songwriter and actor. His trilogy of albums Bat Out of Hell (Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose) has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. More than forty years after its publication, Bat Out of Hell still sells a estimated 200,000 copies annually, making it one of the most successful albums in music history.

He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, recording more than 80 million copies of his albums sold worldwide. He was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance for the song I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) which he won in 1993.

Parallel to his career as a musician, he appeared in over fifty films and television shows. His most notable roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Robert "Bob" Paulson in Fight Club (1999) and "The Lizard" in The 51st State (2002). He also recorded performances as a guest star on television shows such as Monk, Glee, South Park, House and Tales from the Crypt.

He died on January 20, 2022 due to complications from Covid-19.

Biography

Early Years

Michael Lee Aday was born on September 27, 1947, in Dallas, Texas. He was the first child of Wilma Artie (née Hukel), a schoolteacher and member of a gospel quartet, and Orvis Wesley Artie, a police officer.

His father was a heavy drinker who used to go out drinking in bars and not return for days. Michael and his mother would drive for hours looking for him in all the bars in Dallas to bring him home. Because of this, Michael often stayed at the house of his grandmother, Charlsee Norrod.

In 1965, Aday graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, having begun his acting career through school stage productions such as Where's Charley? and The Music Man. After attending college at Lubbock Christian College, he continued his higher education at the University of North Texas.

After receiving the inheritance from his mother's death, he rented an apartment in Dallas and isolated himself for three and a half months. Finally, a friend found it. A short time later he went to the airport and took the next flight out. The plane took him to Los Angeles.

Music career

In Los Angeles, Aday formed his first band, "Meat Loaf Soul," after a nickname coined by his football coach due to his overweight. During the recording of his first song, he managed to sing such a high note that he blew a fuse on the recording monitor.He was immediately offered three recording contracts, which he turned down.

The band Meat Loaf Soul's first concert occurred in Huntington Beach in 1968 at a venue called The Cave, where they served as the opening act for British Van Morrison's band, Them. While performing their version of the song "Smokestack Lightning" from the American Howlin' Wolf, the smoke machine they used broke down and the club had to be evacuated. Later the band was the opening act at California State University Northridge for local groups Renaissance Taj Mahal and singer Janis Joplin.

The group began to experience changes in its formation and in its name. New band names included Popcorn Blizzard and Floating Circus. As Floating Circus, they opened for The Who, The Fugs, The Stooges, MC5, Grateful Dead and The Grease Band. Their local success led to the release of a single, "Once Upon a Time", backed by the song "Hello". Thereupon he was invited to join the cast of the musical Hair in Los Angeles.

During an interview with New Zealand radio station ZM, Meat Loaf stated that the biggest struggle he had to overcome in life was initially not being taken seriously in the music industry.

Stoney & Meatloaf and More Than You Deserve

Meat Loaf (left) and Stoney Murphy recorded the album Stoney " Meatloaf in 1971.

With the publicity generated by Hair, he was invited to record with the prestigious Motown label. They suggested that he perform a duet with singer Shaun & # 34; Stoney & # 34; Murphy, who had acted with him in Hair, to which he agreed. The Motown production team behind the album wrote and curated the songs while Meat Loaf and Stoney simply provided their respective vocals.

The album, titled Stoney & Meatloaf, was completed in the summer of 1971 and published in September of that same year. A single released prior to the album, "What You See Is What You Get," reached number thirty-six on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart (the same chart is titled on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) and number seventy-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

To support their album, the two musicians toured with the band Jake Wade and The Soul Searchers, sharing the stage with Richie Havens, The Who, The Stooges, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and Rare Earth. Meat Loaf left shortly after Motown replaced on the song "Who Is the Leader of the People" his and Stoney's voiced by Edwin Starr's. The album was released after the success of Meat Loaf without Stoney's vocals.

After the tour he reunited with the cast of Hair, this time on Broadway. After hiring an agent, she auditioned for the production of the musical More Than You Deserve at the Teatro Público. During the audition he met his future collaborator, composer Jim Steinman. Later he appeared in the musical As You Like It with Raúl Juliá and Mary Beth Hurt. She recorded a single for More Than You Deserve with a cover of the song & # 34;Presence of the Lord & # 34; as a B-side. She was only able to keep three copies of the single, as the record company did not allow it to be released. He recorded it again in 1981 using a slightly rougher voice.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Free-for-All

Meat Loaf contributed his voice in five album songs Free-for-All Ted Nugent in 1976.

During the winter of 1973, the singer joined the cast of the musical The Rocky Horror Show, playing the roles of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. The success of the musical led to the filming of the iconic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which Meat Loaf played only the role of Eddie, a decision he claimed made the film not as good as the musical.

During the same time, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman began working on the album Bat Out of Hell. The musician convinced Epic Records to record four video clips, "Bat Out of Hell", "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth&# 3. 4; and "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". He then convinced Lou Adler, the producer of The Rocky Horror, to present the video for & # 34;Paradise & # 34; as a movie trailer.

During the recording of the soundtrack for The Rocky Horror, he recorded two more songs: "Stand by Me" (a Ben E. King cover) and "Clap Your Hands". The songs remained unreleased until 1984, when they appeared as B-sides to the "Nowhere Fast" single.

In 1976 he was invited to record vocals on the album Free-for-All by musician Ted Nugent after the temporary abandonment of Derek St. Holmes, lead vocalist of Nugent's band. Meat Loaf sang on five of the nine songs on the album, and the singer was paid $1,000 for his participation on the recording.

Bat Out of Hell and international success

Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman began recording the album Bat Out of Hell in 1972, but redoubled their efforts towards the end of 1974. The singer decided to leave the theater and concentrate exclusively on his musical career., though he appeared in the Broadway musical Lemmings replacing John Belushi. It was at this show that Meat Loaf met vocalist Ellen Foley, who sang with him on the songs "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "Bat Out of Hell" on the album Bat Out of Hell.

After his part in Lemmings, he began working with Steinman looking for a record deal. His approaches were rejected by each record company, because his songs did not fit into any specific recognized music industry style. They eventually performed the songs for Todd Rundgren, who decided to produce the album, as well as play lead guitar (other members of Rundgren's band, Utopia, participated in the recording of the album). Eventually, Cleveland International decided to promote the album. In October 1977, Bat Out of Hell was finally released.

Meat Loaf and Steinman formed the band The Neverland Express to give concerts in support of Bat Out of Hell. His first gig was opening for Cheap Trick in Chicago. The singer gained national exposure as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 25, 1978. Guest host Christopher Lee introduced him to the audience.

Bat Out of Hell was an instant success. It has sold approximately 43 million copies worldwide (15 million copies in the United States), making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the UK alone, its over two million sales put it at number 38 on all-time sales charts.

Dead Ringer

Promotional poster for a Meat Loaf concert in 1978.

In 1976, the singer appeared in the Broadway musical Rockabye Hamlet. Steinman began work on Bad for Good, the album that was supposed to be the follow-up to Bat Out of Hell. According to some versions, Meat Loaf decided to take a time off that the record company did not accept. Apparently the singer began to suffer from a condition in the vocal cords, attributed to a psychological origin by ruling out his physical origin. This problem made him temporarily leave the stage. The truth is that the album finally came out as a solo work by Steinman.

In 1981 the singer was in serious financial difficulties, and his work as an actor, as well as his album Dead Ringer, did not have the initially expected success. Jim Steinman's record and Meat Loaf's own competed in stores and in marketing campaigns, as Steinman's record bore the legend of the "creator of Bat Out Of Hell&# 3. 4;. However, the song "Dead Ringer for Love" it managed to boost sales of the record and it reached the fifth position in the UK charts, staying there for an astonishing 19 weeks. Cher provided the lead female vocals on the song.

Eventually, the album managed to top the UK charts, supported by the singles "Dead Ringer for Love", "I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us" and "Read 'Em and Weep".

Midnight at the Lost and Found

Following a dispute with his former songwriter Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf was contractually forced to release a new album. Struggling for time, and with no resolution to his arguments with Steinman on the horizon (eventually, Steinman sued Meat Loaf, who subsequently sued Steinman as well), he was forced to find composers wherever he could. The resulting album was Midnight at the Lost and Found.

According to Meat Loaf, Steinman composed the songs "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" to be included in this album. However, Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman. This decision was likely a mistake, as Bonnie Tyler's version of "Total Eclipse" and Air Supply's version of "Making Love" they topped the charts, taking number one and number two respectively in 1983.

On December 5, 1981, Meat Loaf and The Neverland Express were the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, where he and his castmate on The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tim Curry, put on a play based on the film. Curry later performed "The Zucchini Song" and Meat Loaf and his band performed "Bat Out of Hell"; and "Promised Land".

Her 1983 tour was a success in Europe, but her financial problems were compounded by lawsuits from her first label. The song & # 34; Wolf At Your Door & # 34;, included in Midnight at the Lost and Found , refers to his multiple financial problems.

Bad Attitude and Blind Before I Stop

In 1984 he changed record companies, choosing Arista Records -which had previously turned down Bat Out of Hell- to record the songs "Bad Attitude" and "Blind Before I Stop". The new album, Bad Attitude, was released in late 1984. "Modern Girl" It was the most successful of the singles published in support of the album, with the vocal collaboration of Clare Torry, recognized for her participation in the recording of Pink Floyd's album Dark Side of the Moon in 1973..

In 1985 the singer dedicated himself to doing some sketches comedy in England with the actor and comedian Hugh Laurie. At some point in the year he tried his hand at stand up comedy, performing several times in Connecticut.A year later he reunited with singer-songwriter John Parr to begin recording a new album, Blind Before I Stop. . The record was released in 1986 with the production, mixing and general influence of Frank Farian. Meat Loaf wrote three of the album's songs. "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" was published as a single in the United Kingdom, a song in which the singer performs a duet with John Parr. Another single released in the UK was 'Special Girl'.

According to the musician's autobiography published in 1998, the album did not sell well mainly due to its production style. In the Soviet Union, Blind Before I Stop was the first Meat Loaf record to be allowed to be released, mainly because it coincided with the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell

After the success of concert tours in the 1980s, Meat Loaf and Steinman put their differences aside and began work over Christmas 1990 on the sequel to the hit Bat Out of Hell. Two years later, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell was finished. The artist's then-manager, Tommy Manzi, later told HitQuarters that music industry insiders were not very enthusiastic about the idea of a comeback, viewing the project as "a joke". The immediate success of Bat Out of Hell II quickly proved the doubters wrong, with the album selling over 15 million copies and the single " I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" reaching number one in 28 countries. Meat Loaf won the Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Solo Vocal Performance in 1993 for this song, which stayed at number one in the UK charts for seven consecutive weeks..

The single features a female vocalist credited only as "Lady Loud". She was later identified as Lorraine Crosby, an English singer.Meat Loaf promoted the song live with American vocalist Patti Russo, who performed lead female vocals throughout the tour. The video clip for "I'd Do Anything for Love" It was directed by Michael Bay and featured photography by Daniel Pearl, renowned for having filmed the 1973 horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera were the main influences when shooting the video, in which actress Dana Patrick played the female character.

Also in 1994, Meat Loaf sang the United States national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. single "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", which peaked at number thirteen in the United States.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

The vocalist Patti Russo joined the Meat Loaf band in 1993.

In 1995 the singer released his seventh studio album, Welcome to the Neighborhood. She achieved platinum certification in the US and UK and released three top 40 singles, including 'I'd Lie for You'; (which reached number thirteen in the US and number two in the UK) and "Not a Dry Eye in the House" (seventh position in the UK charts). In the song "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" Meat Loaf performed a duet with Patti Russo, who had toured with the musician since 1993.

Of the twelve songs on the album, two were written by Steinman. Both are versions, "Original Sin" by the band Pandora's Box and "Left in the Dark" by soloist Barbra Streisand. The video had a higher budget than any of his previous videos. His other singles, & # 34; I & # 39; d Lie for You & # 34; and "Not a Dry Eye in the House" they were written by Diane Warren.

The Very Best of Meat Loaf and Couldn't Have Said It Better

In 1998 his first compilation album, The Very Best of Meat Loaf, was released. Although it failed to reach the Top 10 in the UK, it was certified platinum in December of that year. The album included all of the artist's popular songs and three new compositions. The music for the two Steinman songs was written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A single, "Is Nothing Sacred", was released, composed by Steinman with lyrics by Don Black. The version included on the single featured vocals by Patti Russo, while the album version featured only Meat Loaf. None of the songs from the 1986 album Blind Before I Stop were included on the compilation album.

In 2003 a new studio album was released, Couldn't Have Said It Better. For the third time in his career he released an album without songs written by Steinman (not counting the bonus tracks live on special editions). Although he claimed at the time that Couldn't Have Said It Better was "the most perfect album he had made since Bat Out of Hell" It was not as commercially successful. The album achieved moderate success worldwide, reaching number four on the UK charts, accompanied by a world tour and a few singles. Many writers collaborated on the record, including Diane Warren and James Michael, through who were asked to also contribute composing pieces for the 2006 album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. Couldn't Have Said It Better featured duets with Patti Russo and Pearl Aday, the singer's daughter.

Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose

Meat Loaf live in 2004.

In February 2004, the singer performed a series of concerts supported by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Following these performances, the live album Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was released. A DVD edition titled Meat Loaf and The Neverland Express featuring Patti Russo Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was also released.

Meat Loaf and Steinman had been working on the third installment of Bat Out of Hell when Steinman suffered a heart attack. According to the singer, Steinman was too ill to work on such a demanding project. Steinman had legally trademarked the phrase "Bat Out of Hell" as a trademark in 1995. In May 2006 Meat Loaf sued Steinman and his manager in US District Court in Los Angeles, seeking $50 million and an injunction against Steinman's use of the phrase. In retaliation, the songwriter and his representatives attempted to block the album's release.

In July 2006 an agreement was reached. According to Virgin, "the two reached an amicable agreement ensuring that Jim Steinman's music would continue to be part of the legacy of Bat Out of Hell". Throughout the years of a breakup between Meat Loaf and Steinman, the singer told Dan Rather that he and Steinman never stopped talking, and that the lawsuits reported by the press were between lawyers and managers, not between the two artists.

The album was released on October 31, 2006 with production by Desmond Child. The first single released was "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (with the collaboration in voices of Marion Raven). The single peaked at number six on the UK charts, giving Meat Loaf his best charting in almost eleven years. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than eighty thousand copies in its opening weekend. The album also records the vocal collaboration of Patti Russo and Jennifer Hudson.

During a performance at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne on October 31, 2007, while performing the song "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," the singer suggested to his massive audience that they enjoy themselves. that performance as if it were the last of his career. He tried to sing the first third of the song, but instead said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I love you, thanks for coming, but I can't go on anymore." Taking off the jacket he was wearing, he thanked the audience for accompanying him for thirty years, he said goodbye and left the stage. His tour promoter, Andrew Miller, denied that this was the end of Meat Loaf's career and said that he would continue the tour after a proper rest.

The next two shows on the tour, at the NEC and Manchester Evening News Arena, were canceled due to "acute laryngitis" and rescheduled for the end of November. The concert scheduled for November 6, 2007 at London's Wembley Arena was also cancelled. Meat Loaf canceled his European tour in 2007 after he was diagnosed with a vocal cord cyst. After making a statement, he said, "It breaks my heart not to be able to do these shows," eventually vowing that he would return to the stage.

On June 27, 2008, he returned to the stage in Plymouth, England as part of the Casa de Carne tour with vocalist Patti Russo, who debuted one of her original songs at the concert. The tour visited countries such as England, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Six dates were also scheduled in the United States between October and December 2008.

Hang Cool Teddy Bear and Hell in a Handbasket

In May 2009 he began work on the album Hang Cool Teddy Bear with Green Day's American Idiot album producer Rob Cavallo. He drew on the work of songwriters like Justin Hawkins, Rick Brantley, Tommy Henriksen, and Jon Bon Jovi.

Loaf in 2009.

The album is based on a short story by writer-director Kilian Kerwin, a longtime friend of the singer. Actors Hugh Laurie and Jack Black were guests on the recording of the album, Laurie plays the piano on the song 'If I Can't Have You', while Black sings a duet with Meat Loaf on & #34;Like A Rose. Patti Russo and Kara DioGuardi also provide vocals on the album. Guitarists Brian May and Steve Vai were also invited to the recording. The album's first single, 'Los Angeloser', was released for download on April 5. Twenty days later the album reached number four on the UK charts.

In May 2011 the singer confirmed in a video on his YouTube account that he was in the process of recording a new album called Hell in a Handbasket. According to Meat Loaf, the album was recorded and produced by Paul Crook and Dough McKean was in charge of mixing it with the collaboration of Rob Cavallo. Again Patti Russo contributed her voice, in the song "Our Love and Our Souls". The album was published in September 2011 in Australia, in February 2012 in the United Kingdom and in March of the same year in the United States.

Brave Than We Are

Meat Loaf claimed in 2011 that he planned to release a Christmas album, titled Hot Holidays, a project that has not materialized to date.

In 2013 he stated that he would work again with Jim Steinman on a new album called Brave and Crazy. The album was released in 2016 under the title Braver Than We Are. It was launched on the market on September 9 in Europe and on the 16th of the same month in North America.

Career as an actor

1970s

Parallel to his extensive career in music, Meat Loaf appeared on stage, film, and television. His first notable appearance occurred in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which he played the role of Eddie, having appeared in the musicals Rainbow in New York, More Than You Deserve and Hair. In 1979 he made small cameo appearances in two feature films, Neal Israel's Americathon and Michael Schultz's Scavenger Hunt .

1980s

In 1980, he starred in his first feature film, Alan Rudolph's Roadie, in a cast of other famous musicians including Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison and Deborah Harry. In the film she played a trucker who by circumstances becomes a roadie . A year later he starred in Dead Ringer, a musical feature film based on the singer's album of the same name. 1986's Out of Bounds was his next film appearance, sharing the cast with Anthony Michael Hall and Jenny Wright.

In the 1980s he also made a few guest star appearances on some television series. In 1981 she appeared in an episode of the series Strike Force . Four years later she could be seen in the episode & # 34; Bump and Run & # 34; from the thriller series The Equalizer and in 1988 she appeared in the episode 'Where's the Rest of Me?' from the horror series Monsters.

1990s

In the 1990s he appeared in several film productions with little relevance, except for his work in the films Motorama (1991), Wayne's World (1992), Spiceworld: The Movie (1997), Crazy in Alabama (1999) and especially Fight Club (1999), in which he played Robert "Bob" Paulson, an obese man suffering from testicular cancer.

In 1992 he appeared in the episode "What's Cookin'?" from the horror series Tales from the Crypt. In 1997 he acted in the series The Dead Man's Gun and Nash Bridges , and a year later he played himself in the episode & # 34;Chef Aid & # 34; from South Park, a chapter in which other musicians and rock bands such as Joe Strummer, Rancid, Ozzy Osbourne, Ween, Primus, Elton John, Rick James and DMX appeared.

2000s

In the 2000s, the musician recorded more than twenty appearances in feature films and telefilms. In this decade, his participation in the films The 51st State (2001), Wishcraft (2002) and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006), in which he played the father of JB, a character played by Jack Black. However, he did not appear in the film's credits.

Again this decade he made appearances on television. In 2006 he played the role of Jake Feldman in the episode & # 34; Pelts & # 34; from the anthology horror series Masters of Horror. He played Eddie, a patient, in the episode & # 34; Simple Explanation & # 34; from the series House and Hadley Jorgensen in the episode "Mr. Monk and the Voodoo Curse" by Monk, both in 2009.

2010s

In the 2010s he appeared in a few minor film productions, recording his last appearance in Colin Theys' comedy Wishin'; and Hopin' in 2014. After appearing in episodes of the series Glee, Elementary and Fairly Legal, in 2017 she played Doug's recurring role on the Netflix series Ghost Wars, as an old inhabitant of Port Moore, a remote Alaskan town where unexplained paranormal phenomena occur.

Private life

In 1984, Meat Loaf legally changed his first name from Marvin to Michael. The musician was a fan of baseball and the New York Yankees, as well as a supporter of English soccer club Hartlepool United F.C. He lived near the city of Calabasas, California.

He expressed on several occasions that he suffered from social anxiety, that he felt uncomfortable in society and that when he found himself in that situation he did not know exactly what to do. He also revealed that he did not go out very often and that he felt that he led a boring life, stating that he was even afraid of attending parties and social gatherings of that kind. He finally confessed that he met with other musicians mainly in work situations.

Family

The singer Pearl Aday is Meat Loaf's adoptive daughter.

In December 1978, the musician moved to Woodstock, New York, to work with composer Jim Steinman. At the Bearsville Records studio he met his future wife, Leslie G. Edmonds; they got married a month after they met. Leslie had a daughter, Pearl, from a previous marriage whom he adopted (Pearl later married Scott Ian, the rhythm guitarist for the American thrash metal band Anthrax).

Meat Loaf and his family moved to Stamford, Connecticut in 1979. Two years later Leslie gave birth to Amanda, now an actress. The musician and Leslie divorced in 2001. He married Deborah Gillespie in 2007, who accompanied him until his last days.

Accidents and incidents

In October 2006 the musician's private jet had to make an emergency landing at London-Stansted Airport due to a failure in the landing gear.

In 2011, he passed out on stage while giving a recital in Pittsburgh. He collapsed again on stage in Edmonton on June 16, 2016, due to severe dehydration after canceling two other shows due to illness. Playback containing his pre-recorded vocal track in Edmonton continued as the singer lay unconscious on stage.

Death

Meat Loaf passed away on January 20, 2022 at the age of seventy-four. The news was confirmed by his family on the musician's official Facebook page. The statement indicates that his wife and his two daughters accompanied him in his last moments.Although the cause of his death was not initially reported, the TMZ portal stated that his death was due to to complications derived from COVID-19.

Discography

• Stoney " Meatloaf (1971)
• Bat Out of Hell (1977)
• Dead Ringer (1981)
• Midnight at the Lost and Found (1983)
• Bad Attitude (1984)
• Blind Before I Stop (1986)
• Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993)
• Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995)
• Couldn't Have Said It Better (2003)
• Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)
• Hang Cool Teddy Bear (2010)
• Hell in a Handbasket (2011)
• Braver Than We Are (2016)

Filmography

Cinema

Television