Meat Loaf, the Bat Out of Hell singer, has died at the age of 74.
Meat Loaf is an American rock singer, songwriter, and actor.
He is noted for the Bat Out of Hell album trilogy consisting of "Bat Out of Hell", "Hell in a Cage" and "Back into Hell."
His family verified the news on the star's Facebook page.
"Our hearts are shattered to tell you that the amazing Meat Loaf died today with his wife Deborah by his side," a note said.
The singer-songwriter sold 100 million records worldwide and acted in films such as Fight Club, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Wayne's World.
Meat Loaf's Obituary
His family said that his daughters, Pearl and Amanda, as well as close friends, have been with him for the last 24 hours.
"We know how much he meant to so many of you, and we greatly appreciate all of your love and support as we go through this difficult time of mourning the loss of such an incredible artist and lovely guy."
"We appreciate your consideration of our need for privacy at this time."
Don't ever stop rocking, from his heart to your soul!
The Dallas-born singer was born Marvin Lee Aday, but he is also known as Michael.
He received his moniker when his father reported that he was as red as steak at birth before a high school football coach added the "loaf."
The singer was most known for his Bat Out Of Hell trilogy, which sold millions of CDs throughout the world.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he recorded a number of additional albums, the most notable of which were Dead Ringer and Midnight at the Lost and Found.
Cher, who collaborated with him on the 1981 single "Dead Ringer for Love," remembers having "so much fun" recording the tune with the singer.
We had so much fun doing "Dead Ringer" with Meatloaf. I sincerely apologize to his family, friends, and fans.
Is it just me, or are amazing people in the arts dying every other day? "
January 21, 2022—Cher (@cher)
In the 1990s, his hit I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) was the best-selling record in the United Kingdom in 1993, earning him a Grammy Award
. On the big screen, he played Eddie in the 1975 musical picture The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tiny the bouncer in 1992's Wayne's World, and bodybuilder Robert Paulsen alongside Brad Pitt in 1999's Fight Club.
Bat Out of Hell was also transformed into a stage musical, penned by long-time partner Jim Steinman, and remains one of the top ten best-selling albums of all time, among recordings by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and the Eagles.
He explained that he could make a lot of money, but it wasn't for him because he was too rebellious and too wild.
I made the correct decisions. I don't have any regrets. [It] could have saved a portion of my voice, because performing 200 rock shows a year would wear you out.
If Bruce Springsteen can take it to the next level, Meat Loaf can take it five levels higher.
Todd Rundgren, the producer of Bat Out of Hell, described Meat Loaf's loud, operatic voice in this way:
He was one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life, and living evidence that clichés can be real.
Born into a family of gospel singers, he found success in musical theatre, where he collaborated with Jim Steinman. They worked together for four years to create "Bat Out Of Hell."
The session musicians felt it was a comedy, and four record labels rejected it. But it couldn't be stopped following two spectacular TV appearances, on the UK's Old Grey Whistle Test and America's Saturday Night Live.
It has since sold over 43 million copies worldwide.
The trip that resulted was torturous. Meat Loaf suffered from weariness, and his career came to a halt.
Worse, contractual issues meant he earned no royalties from Bat Out Of Hell for years, forcing him to declare bankruptcy.
In one interview, he admitted that he was so enraged by the situation that he would take CDs off record store shelves and break them beneath his feet to ensure that no one else got paid.
But, in the 1990s, he re-teamed with Steinman for Bat Out Of Hell II, delivering the high-camp I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), which lasted seven weeks at number one in the UK.
His passing robs rock of a real original.
But we'll always be able to sing those oldies how they were meant to be sung: at the top of our lungs on a late-night car journey.
Indeed, Paradise By The Dashboard Light.
Tributes have been paid by the entertainment industry.
Bonnie Tyler, who collaborated with Meat Loaf on an album in 1989, described him as "a bigger than life figure with a voice and stage presence to match & is one of those rare people who actually had a one-off talent and personality."
I am stunned and saddened by Meat Loaf's untimely passing. He was, as you might expect, a larger-than-life figure with a voice and stage presence to match, and he was one of those rare individuals who actually possessed a one-of-a-kind skill and personality. May you be at peace.
January 21, 2022—Bonnie Tyler (@BonnieTOfficial)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, a theatre composer, wrote: "Heaven's vaults will be ringing with rock. Meatloaf, rest in peace. "
Adam Lambert, the frontman for Queen, recalled him as "a soft-hearted, powerful rockstar forever and ever."
Stephen Fry, a British broadcaster, tweeted a reference to the lyrics of Paradise by the Dashboard Light, a song from the film Bat Out of Hell. "I hope paradise is just how you remember it from the dashboard light, Meat Loaf," he wrote.
"I had a lot of fun doing a sketch with him on Saturday Live back in the past century."
Lorraine Crosby, a British vocalist who sang on I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), told the news that he was "a fantastic man" who was "extremely kind with everything."
She said the celebrity was "bigger than life" and "had a temper," but added, "He didn't have a protracted feud with you." He'd speak his piece, and everything would be good the following day. "
Piers Morgan, a British broadcaster, called him "one of rock music's all-time great personalities" and a "wonderfully gifted, flamboyant, witty, outrageous, and rebellious chameleon."
Health issues
Meat Loaf battled sickness and injury throughout his career.
In 1978, he fractured his leg when jumping off a stage in Ottawa, Canada, and had to continue his tour in a wheelchair.
In 2011, he fainted on stage while playing in Pittsburgh, and in 2016, he slumped on stage during a concert in Canada.
Three years later, the celebrity injured his collarbone after falling off an interview stage at a Texas conference.
Meat Loaf paid tribute to Jim Steinman after he died last year, writing, "Coming here soon, my brother Jimmy."