Legendary musician Meat Loaf will go down in the history books as one of the greatest rock stars of all time.
His legacy spans over five decades and he influenced the world of rock forever with his flamboyant presence and unique voice.
He will be sorely missed and his music will still be enjoyed for years to come, but what was his life like and what were the events surrounding his tragic death?
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Keep reading to learn more about the powerhouse vocalist, his life, health struggles and his death as his iconic single I’d Do Anything For Love reaches its 29th anniversary.
Who was Meat Loaf?
(Image: Getty Images)
Meat Loaf, who rose to fame in the 70s and 80s, was born Marvin Lee Aday and was known for performative nature and theatrical voice.
His catalogue of albums Bat Out Of Hell, Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell and Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose have all collectively sold more than a whopping 65 million copies worldwide.
His astounding voice and rare stage presence earned the rock singer awards and he was given a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for his absolute classic I’d Do Anything For Love, but he liked to try his hand at different ventures too.
The rock ‘n’ roll icon took his love for performing to the silver screen and was a regular in Hollywood, having starred in big name cult classics such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fight Club,
Health Struggles
(Image: Getty Images)
The Bat Out Of Hell singer had a number of ailments throughout his life and despite his powerhouse vocals, Meat Loaf suffered from asthma and once collapsed at a gig back in 2016.
This wasn’t the first time, having collapsed years prior in 2011 and 2003.
The cause of his 2016 fall was allegedly due to dehydration but later that year, the singer admitted he’d had emergency surgery on his back which sparked health concerns.
He spoke to Press Association and told them that he’d had a “spinal fusion” as there was a “cyst that was pinching nerves,” so he had to go in for an “emergency operation”.
Death
Sadly, Marvin died on 20 January 2022 aged 74 and leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
Claims were made that the super star had died from Covid but no official cause of death has been made known.
TMZ reported that he was “seriously ill” with Covid-19 prior to his death but the singer was apparently still planning to attend a business dinner mere days before he died.
The publication reported that his condition “quickly became critical”.
The meeting was allegedly to discuss a show he was working on, named after his rock ballad I’d Do Anything For Love.
It is also unclear whether Meat Loaf was vaccinated against Covid-19.
(Image: Getty Images)
In August 2021 the musician spoke to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the virus.
He said: “Oh, I’m scared to death [of Covid-19]. You kidding me? But, I’m sorry, I understood stopping life for a little while, but they cannot continue to stop life because of politics and right now, they’re stopping because of politics.”
Meat Loaf continued: “On CNN last night, it finally came out that the masks we’re all wearing are useless, but I’ve known that for 6 months. They don’t do anything. They don’t stop you from getting Covid-19.”
The interviewer suggested that “we are being controlled by everybody,” to which the chart topping singer said that “he knew” and “if he dies, he dies” but refused to “be controlled”.
Legacy
(Image: Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Meat Loaf had a career spanning five decades and will be sorely missed by friends, family and fans.
Upon his death, tributes poured in from many famous faces including Cher, Boy George and Stephen Fry.
Cher released Dead Ringer For Love with the star back in 1981 and took to social media to share her condolences.
She recalled that they’d “had so much fun” recording the single and that she was “very sorry for his loved ones,” before she asked whether she was “imagining amazing people in the arts are dying every other day”.
Boy George spoke about the time Meat Loaf “turned him upside down in a Chinese restaurant,” while Fry noted that he “had the quality of being simultaneously frightening and cuddly,” which he called “rare and rather wonderful”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
