Meatloaf obit

Rock Legend Meat Loaf Dead at 74: 'Don't Ever Stop Rocking'

Meat Loaf died on Thursday evening surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends

 He was not on the list.

Meat Loaf, the heavyweight rock superstar loved by millions for his "Bat Out of Hell" album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," has died. He was 74.

The singer-songwriter-actor, born Marvin Lee Aday, died Thursday, according to a family statement on his Facebook page.

"Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight," the statement said.

"His amazing career spanned six decades that saw him sell over 100 million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including 'Fight Club,' 'Focus,' 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and 'Wayne's World.'"

"'Bat Out of Hell' remains one of the top 10 selling albums of all time."

"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," the statement continues. … "From his heart to your souls…don't ever stop rocking!"

No cause or other details were given, but Aday had numerous health scares over the years.

"Bat Out of Hell," his mega-selling collaboration with songwriter Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren, came out in 1977 and made him one of the most recognizable performers in rock.

Fans fell hard for the roaring vocals of the long-haired, 250-plus pound singer and for the comic non-romance of the title track as well as "You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "Paradise By the Dashboard Light."

After a slow start and mixed reviews, "Bat Out of a Hell" became one of the top-selling albums in history, with worldwide sales of more than 40 million copies.

Meat Loaf wasn't a consistent hit maker, especially after falling out for years with Steinman. But he maintained close ties with his fans through his manic live shows, social media and his many television, radio and film appearances, including "Fight Club" and cameos on "Glee" and "South Park."

Friends and fans reacted to the death on social media.

"I hope paradise is as you remember it from the dashboard light, Meat Loaf," actor Stephen Fry said on Twitter. "Had a fun time performing a sketch with him on Saturday Live way back in the last century. He had the quality of being simultaneously frightening and cuddly."

According to the Reuters news service, British producer Pete Waterman said, "It was his voice – you knew what you got with Meat Loaf. It was 100 per cent of everything."

Meat Loaf's biggest musical success after "Bat Out of Hell" was "Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell," a 1993 reunion with Steinman that sold more than 15 million copies and featured the Grammy-winning single "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)."

Steinman died in April.

A native of Dallas, Aday was the son of a school teacher who raised him on her own after divorcing his alcoholic father, a police officer.

He was still a teenager when his mother died and when he acquired the nickname Meat Loaf, the alleged origins of which range from his weight to a favorite recipe of his mother's.

He is survived by Deborah Gillespie, his wife since 2007, and by daughters Pearl and Amanda Aday.

he key to this success was his retention of iconic status and popularity in Europe, especially the United Kingdom, where he received the 1994 Brit Award for best-selling album and single, appeared in the 1997 film Spice World, and ranks 23rd for the number of weeks spent on the UK charts, as of 2006. He ranks 96th on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

Aday appeared in over 50 movies and television shows, sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His film roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Bob Paulson in Fight Club (1999). His early stage work included dual roles in the original Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show, and he also appeared in the musical Hair, both on- and off-Broadway.

Filmography

Film

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1962    State Fair      Boy In Stands            Uncredited

1975    The Rocky Horror Picture Show            Eddie  

1979            Americathon    Roy Budnitz

1979            Scavenger Hunt            Scum   

1980    Roadie            Travis W. Redfish      

1981    Dead Ringer  Meat Loaf / Marvin  

1986    Out of Bounds Gil       

1986    The Squeeze            Titus    

1991            Motorama        Vern    

1992            Wayne's World            "Tiny"  

1992    The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag            Lawrence        

1992    Leap of Faith     Hoover

1997    Spice World  Dennis 

1998    Gunshy            Lew Collins 

1998    Black Dog      "Red"  

1998    The Mighty  Iggy Lee     

1998    Outside Ozona  Floyd Bibbs  

1999    Crazy in Alabama            Sheriff John Doggett   

1999    Fight Club     Robert "Bob" Paulsen  

1999    The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man (hu)                     

2001    Face to Face     Driver  

2001    Rustin            Coach Trellingsby       

2001    Focus            Fred    

2001    The 51st State            "The Lizard"

2001    Polish Spaghetti            Food Critic   

2002    The Salton Sea            Bo       

2002            Wishcraft            Detective "Sparky" Shaw   

2003            Learning Curves            Timmons        

2004    A Hole in One  Billy     

2005            Extreme Dating            Marshall Jackson        

2005    Chasing Ghosts  Richard Valbruno         

2005            Crazylove         John    

2005            BloodRayne     Leonid 

2006    The Pleasure Drivers Dale    

2006            Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny            Bud Black            Uncredited

2007    Urban Decay  Rick "Zero" 

2007    History Rocks  Himself

2008    Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise            Himself

2010    Burning Bright   Howie            Uncredited

2010            Beautiful Boy  Motel Manager          

2010    Polish Bar       Joe      

2011            Absolute Killers            Dan     

2013    The Moment            Sergeant Goodman    

2013    All American Christmas Carol    Ross    

2014    Stage Fright   Roger McCall

2014    Wishin' and 'Hopin'            Monsignor Muldoon   

 

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1978            Saturday Night Live            Musical Guest            Episode: "Christopher Lee/Meat Loaf"

1981            Saturday Night Live            Musical Guest            Episode: "Tim Curry/Meat Loaf/The Neverland Express"

1985    The Equalizer            Sugar Fly Simon            Episode: "Bump and Run"

1987    The Grand Knockout Tournament            Himself            Television special

1988            Monsters         Dr. Willard Wingite            Episode: "Where's the Rest of Me?"

1992            Lightning Force            Richard Talbot            Episode: "MIA"

1992    Tales from the Crypt            Mr. Chumley            Episode: "What's Cookin'?"

1995    To Catch a Yeti            Jake "Big Jake" Grizzly  TV Movie

1997    Dead Man's Gun            Aaron Freemont            Episode: "The Mail Order Bride"

1997    Nash Bridges Charlie Pep            Episode: "Wild Card"

1998    South Park     Himself            Episode: "Chef Aid"

2000    The Outer Limits            CSA Colonel Angus Devine            Episode: "Gettysburg"

2000            Blacktop          Jack            TV Movie

2001    The Ballad of Lucy Whipple            Amos "Rattlesnake Jake" Frogge            TV Movie

2001            Trapped          Jim Hankins            TV Movie

2006            Masters of Horror            Jake Feldman            Episode: "Pelts"

2007    Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve      Himself

2007    Private Sessions            Himself            Episode: "Meat Loaf"

2007    Go-Phone Commercial            Singing Father 

2008    The F Word   Himself

2009    Hannity            Himself            Panel member

2009    House            Eddie            Episode: "Simple Explanation"

2009    Citizen Jane            Detective Jack Morris            TV Movie

2009            Bookaboo      Himself            Episode: "The Lamb Who Came for Dinner"

2009    Don't Forget the Lyrics!  Himself            He won $500,000 for The Painted Turtle

2009    Ghost Hunters            Himself            Episode: "Bat Out of Hell"

2009    Monk            Reverend Hadley Jorgensen            Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Voodoo Curse"

2010    Popstar to Operastar            Himself            Judge

2010    Spicks and Specks            Himself

2010    WWE Raw     Himself

2010    Glee            Barry Jeffries            Episode: "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"

2010    Ghost Hunters            Himself            Episode: "Sloss Furnaces"

2010    This Week   Himself

2011    The Celebrity Apprentice            Himself

2012    Fairly Legal    Charlie DeKay[137]            Episode: "Kiss Me, Kate"

2017            Elementary       Herman Wolf            Episode: "The Ballad of Lady Frances"

2017–2018            Ghost Wars    Doug Rennie  Main cast