In 1977, “Bat Out of Hell” became the fifth best-selling album in Billboard history. In honor of the musical legend, we’ve put together some fun facts about the man behind the persona.
Why “Meatloaf”?
The name’s unique, for sure. And we’ve all wondered about it at some point. What’s even better? The name isn’t a moniker at all! His real name was Marvin Lee Aday, but “Meat Loaf” had been a fixture since he was a child. The story has two parts. In an interview with Oprah in 2016, Meat Loaf said that he was “born bright red” as a baby.
His father ended up calling him Meat since he resembled “nine and a half pounds of ground chuck.” The second instance came about at the age of thirteen when Meat accidentally stood on his coach’s foot. The coach reportedly yelled, “Get off my food, you hunk of meat loaf!” And that’s how the name stuck.
Meat Loaf Had (At Least) Nine Lives
Few people can’t cheat death the way Meat Loaf did in his lifetime. He survived a car accident where the vehicle rolled over. He got struck on the head with a shot-put. He also got carried away during performances. Flying microphones (sometimes into the crowd) and Meat jumping off stage were common occurrences at concerts.
On one such occasion, Meat jumped and broke both his legs. In October 2006, his private jet’s forward landing gear malfunctioned, leading to an emergency landing. One of the most defining moments was in 2007 when he fell ill during a concert. Did we mention he did all of this while suffering from a heart condition?
Sadly though, Meat Loaf would end up using up all of his lives when, in 2022, he finally passed away, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 74 years old.
Meat Loaf: The Method Singer
Meat Loaf always insisted he was not a great singer. He never wanted to be a “star” in the first place. The artist believed he could sing well only if he got into character. If you’ve ever listened to a Meat Loaf song, you’ll realize a character is always singing it – not Meat Loaf himself. According to the artist, he always did things “in character.” Acting helped him deliver better, whether as a musician or a shot-put thrower in high school.
The Story Behind How He Lost His Voice
Meat Loaf lost his voice shortly after the release of “Bat Out of Hell” in 1977. But it was a different kind of voice loss. He sounded both hoarse and pained – like “a dragon trying to sing.” Soon, people learned that he wasn’t sounding like himself for psychological reasons.
Meat Loaf lost his voice for years and needed intensive psychological therapy to recover. Finally, we’ll leave you with this: Meat Loaf was a vegetarian during the final decade of his life.