Meat Loaf, the unlikely rock star who rose to fame in the 1970s on the strength of hits including “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” and sold more than 100 million albums, has died at 74, his family said in a statement.
Although no cause of death has been released, TMZ reported that COVID-19 killed the singer, who had been a vocal critic of vaccine mandates.
The singer and actor, born Sept. 27, 1947, as Marvin Lee Aday, was christened with what would become his stage name by a football coach poking fun at his weight. He burst into superstardom with the landmark album Bat out of Hell in 1977, his powerful voice and big frame making him an instant icon. Although he never repeated the massive success of his debut album, he had subsequent hits and starred in over 64 movies, including Fight Club and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
“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,” his family wrote. “From his heart to your souls … don’t ever stop rocking!”
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Meat Loaf’s biggest hit, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, featured a back-seat colloquy between two “barely 17”-year-old lovers, and play-by-play cameo by legendary baseball broadcaster Phil Rizzuto. The album yielded other hits, including “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.”
Aday was born in Dallas on Sept. 27, 1947, to a school teacher and a former police officer who battled alcoholism after returning injured from World War II. Aday battled obesity from an early age but starred in musicals at Thomas Jefferson High School. After stints at Lubbock Christian College and North Texas State University, he went to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
In LA, Aday formed a band that opened for Van Morrison’s band in 1968 but turned down early recording contracts. He landed a role in the LoA production of Hair and later starred in other musicals before landing a role in the 1975 cult classic film Rocky Horror Picture Show.
While auditioning for a stage role in the mid-1970s, Aday met Jim Steinman, the composer and lyricist who would become his collaborator. The pair worked for more than two years on the Bat out of Hell album, which became an international bestseller.
Some performers and fans took to Twitter reacting to the news.
Singer and songwriter Adam Lambert called him a “gentle hearted powerhouse rockstar” whose music “will always be iconic.”
Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler described him as “a larger than life character” and one of those “rare people who truly was a one off talent and personality.”
A gentle hearted powerhouse rockstar forever and ever. You were so kind. Your music will always be iconic. I’m sure you’re singing concerts in the great beyond. Rest In Peace sir. #MeatLoafRIP #Meatloaf pic.twitter.com/9twdJcOeP1
— ADAM LAMBERT (@adamlambert) January 21, 2022
I am shocked & saddened by the sudden death of Meat Loaf. He was, as you might imagine, a larger than life character with a voice & stage presence to match & is one of those rare people who truly was a one off talent and personality. Rest In Peace
— Bonnie Tyler (@BonnieTOfficial) January 21, 2022
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Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell became a top-selling album, with worldwide sales of more than 40 million copies. Some of his most popular songs during his career include “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.”
