| What is Meat's real name? |
| Meat Loaf was born Marvin Lee Aday. Sometime in the 1980's he changed his name to Michael Lee Aday, but generally he answers to Meat! |
| When and where was he born? |
| The "where" is easy : Baylor Hospital, Dallas ,Texas (USA). The "when" has been the subject of a lot of debate over the years. Meat definitely entered this world like a bat out of hell on September 27th. As for the year, Meat has in many different interviews said this to be anywhere from 1947 to 1952. However, according to his autobiography "To Hell and Back" he was born September 27th 1947. |
| Where and when did Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman first meet? |
| Meat and Jim first made acquaintance in 1972 at Joe Papp's Public Theatre in New York. Jim was already working for Joe Papp and had written the score for a new play "More Than You Deserve". Meat auditioned for a part and he was offered and accepted the role of Rabbit. |
| Are there any books or sheet music for guitar, piano and vocals for Meat's songs? |
| Yes there are. Books with the notation/tab for all the songs from both "Bat 1" and "Bat II" are still available as well as sheet music for some individual songs. A book containing all the songs from "Dead Ringer" was also published but is now long out of print and you would have to scour record fairs or second-hand book shops for a copy. |
| Where can I buy these music books? |
| Your local musical instrument store should be able to help. If they don't have them in stock they will be able to order them from their catalogues. You could also try the following music specialists:
Rose Morris
Ll Denmark Street
London WC2H 8LS
Tel.: Freephone 0800 376 9100
e-mail: print@rose-morris.co.uk
Website: http://www.rose-morris.co.uk/
OR:
Chamberlain Music
Weyhill
Haslemere
Surrey
GU27 1HN
Tel.: 01428 658806
e-mail: websales@chamberlainmusic.com
website: http://www.chamberlainmusic.com/ |
| How tall is he? |
| 6 FEET 1/2 INCH. |
| What colour are his eyes? |
| Blue! They do seem to change though from a light steely grey/blue to a very dark blue depending on his mood. |
| Where does Meat Loaf live? |
| Meat has lived in several places including New York and the UK, (London for a short time in the 1980's), however he now resides in Santa Monica. His main home for many years (until he moved to California) was in Connecticut. |
| What did he do before he was a singer/actor? |
| Previous jobs have included looking after turkeys and picking pecans on his cousin's farm. He worked as a night club bouncer when he first moved to LA. |
| Does he have any children? |
| Meat has two daughters: Pearl and Amanda. |
| Are his daughters planning on show biz careers as well? |
| Pearl has toured with Meat and sung background vocals with The Neverland Express. She has now completed four concert tours with her dad. As well as making cameo appearances in two of Meat's promo videos - "Objects In The Rear Views Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" and "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth") she has also provided background vocals on three of Meat's albums. She has been working on an album with her own rock band Stella and is featured on an album by rock band Filter. She has also toured as a backing singer with Motley Crue. Her first recorded duet with her dad "Man Of Steel" can be heard on Meat's "Couldn't Have Said It Better" album.
Amanda is pursuing a career in movies and has made cameo appearances in the "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)" video and the children's movie starring Meat "To Catch A Yeti". She played a production assistant in "Crazy In Alabama" and also had a part as a grocery store clerk in the VH-1 movie "To Hell and Back". More recently she has appeared in the American series "Boston High". |
| What was the first song Meat ever recorded? |
| In 1967 Meat was a member of a band called Popcorn Blizzard. They released a single "Hello"/"Once upon a time" on the Magenta label. The band produced and pressed 3,000 copies themselves and distributed them all within a 400 mile radius of Saginaw, Michigan where the band was based. |
| How many copies of "Bat Out Of Hell" have been sold? |
| Now there's a subject for contention. The popular theory appears to be around 35 million world wide and rising! |
| What was the highest chart position "Bat" reached in the UK? |
| No. 9. |
| Did Meat ever imagine for one minute that "Bat" would be so successful? |
| Meat says he always believed in the project and knew "Bat" would be a hit. The difficult part for Meat and Jim Steinman was convincing everyone else that this would be so! No one, including Meat and Jim (least of all their record company Epic) could have honestly imagined the phenomenal success "Bat" would become. |
| Will Meat and Jim be getting back together to record? |
| YES!!! Jim is currently busy writing the songs for "Bat III". |
| Where can I get Meat's back-catalogue recordings? |
| Well, you could try looking on the "Collector's Corner" page of this web site. If you can't find everything you want there, there are also numerous other places to search, especially eBay where you will find many of Meat's recordings. If you have record fairs in your area this would be a good place to start. There are also lots of used record/CD specialist shops and mail order companies. Record Collector magazine in the UK contains addresses of specialist dealers. |
| Of all the songs Meat has recorded, which is his personal favourite? |
| During the Storytellers show at the Beacon Theatre, New York on Millennium night. Meat said he had 3 personal favourites: "No Matter What", "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" and "For Crying Out Loud", his "most" favourite being "For Crying Out Loud". |
| Where can we find the lyrics to "I'd do anything for love"? |
| Check out our new lyrics section, here you will find the lyrics to all the songs from the main albums, and as we find them we'll add the more unusual ones too. |
| What is "that" in the song 'I'd do anything for love'? |
| As Meat so expertly explained every night of the Storytellers tour: It's the line before every chorus! e.g.:
"forget the way you feel right now"
"forgive myself if we don't go all the way tonight"
Or Meat's favourite: "stop dreaming of you every night of my life" ... ... .....
I would do anything for love, but I won't do that! |
| Does Meat ever get stage fright? |
| Not actual stage fright, but he says he gets nervous in as much as he wants his audience to have the best show possible. |
| When Meat played his debut UK concert in 1978 at the Manchester Apollo was that the first time he had ever been to England? |
| No it wasn't. Meat had previously been to England in 1974 to film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Bray Studios where the old Hammer horror movies were filmed. |
| Does Meat have any tattoos and if so, where? |
| He says he doesn't and since he claims to be terrified of needles I'm inclined to believe him! |
| Does he have any plans in the future to return to the theatre and if so would he like to do straight plays or musicals or both? |
| "I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY 'MARTY' (WRITTEN BY Paddy Chayefsky WHO ALSO WROTE 'NETWORK' AND 'BEING THERE' AMONG OTHER THINGS), OR MAYBE JUDD FRY IN THE MUSICAL 'OKLAHOMA'." |
| Did Meat play the part of Eddie in the movie of 'The Rocky Horror Show'? |
| Yes, Meat played both the parts of Eddie and Dr Scott on stage at The Roxy in Los Angeles. He then went on to play Eddie in the movie. After the filming of the movie was finished Meat repeated his dual roles as Eddie and Dr. Scott at the Belasco Theater on Broadway. There are various different recordings available of The Rocky Horror Show, but "The Original Roxy Cast" version on the ODE label has Meat singing "Eddie's Teddy" (Dr Scott) as well as the more familiar "Hot Pattootie (Bless My Soul)" (Eddie). The inside album cover has a wonderful picture of Meat as Dr Scott in fishnet stockings and high heels!!!!!! |
| Did Meat play sport at school? |
| Yes, Meat was what they call a "Jock" in the US. He played senior tackle for the football team and was Manager of the baseball team for a while. |
| What school did Meat go to? |
| He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas ,Texas. For a short period he went to Lubbock Christian College, and then on to North Texas State. |
| Does Meat own a motorbike? |
| No, and by his own admission is not a very competent motorbike rider either. In fact he actually broke his leg when he skidded and nearly ended up over the edge of a cliff whilst filming the promo video of Modern Girl. |
| Why did Meat cut his hair? |
| Meat has said that he was getting a bit tired of his long hair and actually cut it for a movie he was due to appear in. He then found that they had changed the dateline and that he didn't need to have cut his hair at all! |
| Has he kept some of his long hair as a keepsake? |
| I honestly don't know the answer to this one. Maybe if he reads this he would like to enlighten us. Just a little bit of useless information though: a company in London will sell you 5 strands of Napoloeon's or Elvis's hair for £500, so how much would you pay for 5 strands of Meat's long hair if it was available? |
| What make of guitar does Meat play? |
| For many years he was always seen with either a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Stratocaster. These days he seems to prefer Washburns. |
| Does Meat come from a musical background? |
| His mother sang with one of her sisters and two other women in a gospel vocal quartet called the Vo-di-o-do Girls. His maternal grandfather, a minister in the Church Of Christ, played several musical instruments. |
| What was the first song written by Jim Steinman that Meat ever sang? |
| The first song Meat ever sang written by Jim Steinman, was a song called "More than you deserve". It was written by Jim for the play of the same name, in which Meat played the part of Rabbit. It was first released as a single on the RSO label in 1973. It has "Presence of the Lord" written by Eric Clapton on the B side. "More Than You Deserve later appeared on the "Dead Ringer" album. It was however by then a completely different arrangement. |
| What was the first song written by Jim Steinman for the album Bat out of Hell? |
| The first song ever written by Jim for Bat out of Hell was "Heaven Can Wait". |
| For many years now I have been looking for any album , cd, video etc that has a live version of Heaven can wait on it. Does such a thing exist and if so can you tell me the details so that I can finally obtain a copy. |
| Two official live recordings immediately spring to mind. Both were only released in the US, but are available in the UK.
There is a double album called "Live Around The World" which was released in the US. It's a lovely digipak with a booklet and loads of photos inside. You can usually get it in the import section of major stores like Tower Records (Tel; 0207 2871510) or HMV (Tel: 0990 334578) as well as some online stores.
The second album is called "Storytellers" and was released in the US in Sept 1999. There is also a "Storytellers" video and DVD, (only released in the US). The "Storytellers" show has been shown on VH-1 in the UK. You may get the album in import sections but if not you can certainly order it on line from www.amazon.com, www.towerrecords.com, www.towereurope.com or www.CDnow.com and probably others too. Another beautiful live version of "Heaven Can Wait" can also be found on the "Pavarotti & Friends - Together For The Children Of Bosnia" CD which was released in the UK. |
| What is the pendant which Meat Loaf wears around his neck? |
| The pendant on the chain which Meat wears around his neck is in the shape of the state of Texas, where Meat was born. |
| Where can I get a copy of the pop video of Anything For Love? |
| The video of "I'd Do Anything For Love" is included in the "BOOH II Picture Show" video. You will probably have to scour second-hand music shops or eBay to find a copy. |
| Who is the female vocalist on the CD version of "I'd do anything for love"? |
| The woman who sang on the CD version was Lorraine Crosby also known as "Mrs Loud". |
| What is the story behind the song 'For Crying Out Loud'? |
| "YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE COMPOSER (JIM STEINMAN). IT WAS WRITTEN FOR A MUSICAL CALLED NEVERLAND (SUNG BY PETER TO WENDY). IT WAS A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON THE PETER PAN STORY." |
| BOXERS OR BRIEFS? |
| Geeze somebody just had to ask this, didn't they! There was a time in interviews in answer to this question, Meat would reply that he didn't wear any underwear at all. Judging by some of the video footage I have seen of the same time era, I am inclined to believe him. However, as to what his personal preference in underwear is nowadays, I'm afraid it's not something I am privy to. |
| Is it true that Meat Loaf asked to have his name changed because of a Levi's advert? |
| "NOT EXACTLY - IT IS TRUE THAT THERE WAS SUCH AN ADVERTISEMENT ON THE RADIO IN TEXAS WHEN I WAS A KID, BUT I DIDN'T CHANGE MY NAME LEGALLY UNTIL 1985 FOR A NUMBER OF PERSONAL REASONS. I DID HATE THAT ADVERTISEMENT THOUGH!" |
| Who was the female singer on Paradise by the dashboard light? Full name please. |
| The female singer on "Paradise" on the "Bat Out Of Hell" album is Ellen Foley. However, when Meat Loaf toured with "Bat Out Hell", it was performed on stage by Karla De Vito, and it's Karla you can see lip-synching to Ellen's vocals on the promo video! |
| Did Meat Loaf appear in the Broadway musical Hair and if so what part did he play? |
| Yes Meat did appear in "Hair" and not just on Broadway. He didn't just play one part either. At the end of 1970 he was playing at The Biltmore Theatre and is listed as playing the parts of "Mother" , "Young Recruit" and "General Grant" as well as being part of "The Tribe". By the time he played The Shubert Theatre in Feb/March 1971 he was opening the show with the song "Aquarius", and Stoney had joined the cast and was understudy for "Jeanie". |
| On the credits to Bat Out Of Hell, why has Meat put his father's middle name? |
| It just seems that Wesley was the name his father was more commonly known as. |
| Does Meat have any songs that he just cannot stand? |
| Meat wasn't happy with the way some songs on "Blind Before I Stop" were mixed with a dance beat. "If You Really Want To" (from "Midnight At The Lost & Found") he has said he "hates with a passion". "Peel Out" is another song that springs to mind. |
| Did Meat break his leg while arriving on stage on a Harley? |
| Meat has had more than his share of mishaps over the years! He did fall off the stage (but not on a Harley) in Ottawa in 1978 and tore ligaments in his leg. He performed concerts in a wheelchair for a while after that. He also fell from the stage in Australia in 1985 and broke his leg. Again he carried on touring with his leg in a fibre glass cast. |
| More about Meat and Motorcycles? |
| In Rocky Horror Picture Show, he didn't actually drive that motor cycle around. For the close up shots of him going up the ramp, he was actually in a wheelchair! |
| What makes Meat such an enticing person? |
| Wow what a question, as for what makes him so enticing I'm sure everyone asked would give a slightly different answer However, what I am pretty certain is, that they would all agree that his stage performances are amazing and that his personality, energy and charisma reaches out and touches everyone there. He always puts in 110% to every performance and there is nothing to match seeing Meat Loaf perform live on stage. He is a true showman and has the audience firmly clasped in the palm of his hand from the moment he walks out on the stage to the final curtain! |
| Where can I get a U.K compatible version of the storytellers video? |
| The Storytellers video was only released in the US/Canada and is only available on NTSC format. An edited version has been shown on TV on VH-1 in Europe though. |
| What movies has Meat been in? |
| Too many to list here and it seems to be rising by the day……. Check out our acting career topic on this site. |
| Is there an address that we can write to Meat Loaf as a fan? |
| If you go to the hot links page of this web site you will find an address where you can write to Meat Loaf. |
| Did Meat Loaf appear on television as a child? |
| Not as far as I am aware. His earliest appearance I believe happened by accident when he appeared as a boy in a stand in 1962 in the film "State Fair". |
| Where can I get a video of Dead Ringer For Love? |
| This appears on the "Hits out of Hell" video. Live versions are also included on 2 videos: "Meat Loaf Live" and "Bad Attitude Live". |
| Had Meat Loaf ever performed all of the songs from 'Bat Out Of Hell' at one concert before the 'Storytellers' tour? |
| I'm not too sure about 'Heaven Can Wait' but he certainly used to regularly perform all the other songs from 'Bat' at concerts during his 1977/78 world tour. He would also round off the concerts with blistering versions of 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'River Deep, Mountain High'. |
| Who played guitar on the "bat out of hell" LP? Was it Todd Rundgren or Ronnie Montrose or somebody else? |
| This was definitely Todd Rundgren! Bass guitarist was Kasim Sulton. |
| Are Meat Loaf and his family religious and if so what religion are they? |
| Meat does come from quite a religious background. He attended the Church Of Christ when he was growing up in Dallas, Texas. His mother sang in a Gospel quartet and his grandfather was a minister. These days Meat doesn't claim to belong to any particular organised religion. |
| Where can I find the Meat Loaf Fonts? |
| "THE OVERALL LOOK OF THE MEAT LOAF LOGO IS A COMBINATION OF ABOUT 15-20 DIFFERENT SPECIALIZED FONTS." |
| Who does all the art work for the album covers and inserts? |
| They have been done by various people but probably the most notable are the covers for "Bat out of Hell" by Richard Corben, and "Bat out of Hell II" and "The Very Best of Meat Loaf" by Michael Whelan. |
| Where do Meat's jeans come from....and how much do they cost ? |
| "I BUY THEM USUALLY IN A '76 TRUCK STOP WHEN ON TOUR IN THE U.S. THEY'RE ABOUT 30 OR 40 DOLLARS. (MY DESIGNER FOR STAGE AND FORMAL IS ALI RAHIMI FOR MON ATILIER IN LOS ANGELES.)"
(A '76 truck stop is a typical rest stop for truckers (and other motorists) along major highways in the U.S. They generally have bathrooms, restaurants, and shops for people to stop in on long trips.) |
| Where can video version of "I'd Do Anything For Love" can be found? |
| This is on the "BOOH II Picture Show" video. The video is no longer available and you would have to look in second-hand music shops for a copy. |
| I heard that Meat was offered the song "How Do I Live Without You"? |
| "NO, THIS IS NOT TRUE." |
| Is there any movie role which Meat would have liked to have played, and why? |
| "BILLY BOBBET IN "ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST" IS ONLY ONE OF MANY MANY FILM CHARACTERS THAT I'D HAVE LOVED TO HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO PERFORM." |
| Who is Louis Steinman? |
| Louis Steinman is the writer Jim Steinman's father. |
| I recently heard a version of "Surfs up" that did not sound as if it was Meat Loaf singing, has this song been covered by another artist or not? |
| I don't think covered is the right word. You probably have heard the version of "Surf's Up" by Jim Steinman. He released his own album called "Bad for Good" in 1981 which "Surfs Up" is on. Meat didn't record "Surf's Up" until the "Bad Attitude" album in 1984, so I suppose technically you could say Meat covered Jim's song! |
| Who were the people doing Nocturnal Pleasures. Is Jim Steinman one of them? |
| Yes Jim Steinman wrote, performed and produced "Nocturnal Pleasure". |
| Who made this FAQ? |
| This FAQ was compiled by Diane. |
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