FIGHT TO SAVE HIS VOICE AND HIS CAREER!
 

BAT OUT OF HELL ROCKER MEAT LOAF ON FIGHT TO SAVE HIS VOICE AND HIS CAREER
By Garth Pearce

Veteran rocker Meat Loaf is big, strong and loud but he cried himself to sleep when he feared his 40-year singing career was finished by illness.

He had a cyst on his vocal cords and worried that an operation could rob him of his singing voice, as happened to Hollywood star Julie Andrews after similar surgery.

Meat - born Marvin Aday in Dallas, Texas, 60 years ago - just couldn't face the future without being able to perform his knockout stage shows.

Recalling his personal torment which reached a dramatic climax last year, the star confessed: "I went to hell and back.

"I loved my life, loved the show and loved giving the fans the best I could deliver.

"Every time I thought about the prospect of not being able to sing, itwould break my heart. I am not ashamed to say I cried my eyes out."


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The star had worked tirelessly to win his reputation as one of the greats of rock 'n' roll. He made the biggest selling album in British history with Bat Out Of Hell in 1978. Amazingly, it stayed in the charts for a record nine years.


And with total sales of 30million, the Guinness Book of Records also declared it the third best-selling album in the world.


But over the years Meat's body has taken a battering because of his wild, all-action stage antics.


He broke his leg on stage in Toronto, Canada, 30 years ago - and finished the tour in a wheelchair.


He knocked himself out in shows and collapsed in a sweat-drenched heap. But always he staggered to his feet to carry on belting out his hits such as Dead Ringer For Love, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and I'd Lie For You.


Then he suffered heart problems in 2003 diagnosed as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome - rapid heart rate - which led to an on-stage breakdown at Wembley Arena.


And finally he broke down on stage last November at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle - and dramatically declared that his touring days were over.


Nine months on, Meat now says that he "panicked" over the incident. "I thought that, finally, I was beaten," he said.


"I knew that throat problems could be the killer.


I had been having problems for some time with my voice. I should have rested, got some help and treatment for my throat.


"But I just freaked out, because I didn't know what was wrong. I wasn't sick and didn't have any flu or infection. So I just said, 'I quit' and walked off stage."


However, Meat Loaf is nothing if not a survivor - and although he may get knocked down, he somehow always gets back up again.


Recalling his latest and most important fight back, he said: "I did not want to let anyone down.


"I have a great relationship with my fans and they've backed me through all the ups and downs of my long career.


"But I had some luck when the cyst popped itself. I started doing some research. It did not sound or look good.


"Yet my voice began to get stronger and I started working with a voice coach, Eric Egerd, in March of this year when this tour was first discussed.


"By May, we were working for up to ten hours a day and I was looking forward to touring again. I was going to try and make this my best."


The evidence is now out there, as Meat has collected some of the best reviews of his life for his current tour, called Casa De Carne, which is Spanish for Meat's House.


He has been watched by huge audiences around Britain, from Plymouth's Home Park to Castle Howard in north Yorkshire. And he aims to finish his British tour at the Motor Show music festival with a gig to remember. His show is the finale of 12 of the world's biggest rock acts at the ExCel Centre, London, next Saturday.


Meat is the first to admit he had trodden a rocky path to stardom. In 1967, aged 19, he left Texas for New York and Los Angeles to play in bands and act in hippy musicals such as Hair.


After his massive hit Bat Out of Hell in the late 70s, his singing career had cooled a decade later.


But typically he bounced back with Bat Out Of Hell II in 1993, which became a No 1 and stayed in the charts for a year.


Meat, who has kept up his acting by appearing in more than 40 films, added: "I have never taken anything for granted and just tried to always go one step further.


"Pop careers come and go and I know what it takes to survive."


Surprisingly, though, he added: "I have never been totally sure of myself, despite the image. I do not like arrogance, because pride always comes before a fall.


"I've had too many things go wrong in my life to think it will always be smooth and successful.


And another thing - my life has gone by too fast!" Meat said that turning 60 last September came as a big shock.


"It's like having a good lunch," he revealed. "You are enjoying yourself, with friends, and you think you have spent an hour or so at the restaurant. Then you realise it's been three hours.


"I have been having an enjoyable life, with some great times among the bad, but it is all going by too quickly. I want some time back."


Any regrets? "So many, I have not got time to even discuss them," he replied. "I am trying to make up for lost time in so many ways.


"I have drunk too much, eaten too much and lived too wild. I regret no longer being with the mother of my two wonderful daughters."


He was divorced from wife Leslie in 2001. She had been with him from the start of his success and they married in 1979. But his daughter Pearl - his other girl is Amanda - is with him on tour, as the opening act.


"She is a natural, yet didn't like performing in front of people," he said.


"She used to do acoustic stuff and Iwould encourage her to sing certain songs, like Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz.


"She was so reluctant, I wondered whether this was the life for her. She has such a kind spirit. But she's now on the best form of her life.


"Pearl is so gifted and polite, with good manners. My ex-wife had a lot to do with that. So did my mother and my ex-wife's father."


Pearl goes by Meat Loaf's real surname of Aday.


He decided to call himself Meat Loaf after a band he formed in the late 1960s called Meat Loaf Soul And Popcorn Blizzard.


Apart from his family, one of his most important relationships has been with his songwriting partner Jim Steinman.


The pair have had countless fall-outs over the years, even suing each other and going through stages of not speaking.


Now Meat Loaf wants to bury the hatchet. "Jim is one of my best friends and always will be," he said simply.


"I haven't seen him for a couple of years now, but would make another record with him in a heartbeat."


Meat is a shadow of his former self, in the best sense. Last year he had reportedly ballooned to a massive 22st.


But these days he is off the booze and fatty foods, and looks trim and fit and is obviously raring to go.


"I never know what I am going to do on stage," he said. "Even my band say that I am a crazy person and they laugh at me.


"One of my band members, Paul, who has been with me for six years, was telling me last night, 'I never know what to expect with you'.


"That's a great compliment. I want to keep surprising myself."

Article - http://www.people.co.uk/news/news/tm...name_page.html

My dad noticed it as a double page spread in the People this morning!
Ross

That's a fantastic article. Thanks for pointing that out Ross.
Doing his best on stage is clearly evident from the shows on this run. I'm glad it is a success and the majority of the crowds are enjoying the shows.

In my opinion it would be great if Steinman and Meat would forget what has gone before in the last few years and give us a last few miracles now that it is still possible.

I agree to Andrew. SOunds like Meat would when he said he would make another album with Jim in a heartbeat.

Also when he comments about London being his last UK date, going onto say it wants it to be a concert you'll never forget - memerable - I guess it will be.

He looks so much healthier and fitter and younger than on the 3 Bats Tour from the photos I've seen. I'm keeping the article for my collection - good photo of him in the paper aswell :-)

(off to work now....)

That's definitely one of the best articles I've read recently. Thanks for posting it Ross.

I'd be extremely surprised if a new full album between them ever emerged, but a final swansong or two might just be possible. A bit like ABBA when they did Thank You For The Music then parted company.

Pud :twisted:

I agree, full album is unlikely but perhaps a few songs what Steinman described as Climaxes and Conclusions could still be done. Maybe a Bat best of with some live stuff and demos etc. + "Body", "Paradise Lost" and "Last at Bat".

For Steinman to do a 'best of' Bat would mean he'd have to acknowledge Bat3 as part of the trio and I just don't think he could. Which is why they fought in the courts.

A Conclusions & Climaxes EP is possible, but I have a leaning towards if the Bat musical has a concept album Meat would do a new song or two on that.

Pud :twisted:

Or maybe the album will be called something silly like "Bull in a china shop" its a great name and it is the working title for Meat's next album

this might not sit well with some fans but personally i'm not bothered if they work together again or not, thats their business, i'll look forward to any new album regardless.

It's a lovey article, thanks Ross, seems very honest for once

i agree dj. Does anyone know why he did split up with Lesley when they were together for so long?

That's a rather private matter regardless of the reason I'd say and if that is going to be discussed here I will not visit this thread any more.

sorry was just curious they seemed like an amazing couple thats all. The way some people reply to innocent questions makes me wonder whether to leave the site altogether, nevermind just the thread!!

Please do not leave. I do not dictate the rules and I am probably wrong here. I just do not want to be part of a discussion that I think could harm Meat's family. Don't take my word for it.
But you are right they were an amazing couple together.

ok it was an innocent question though i just presumed he would have spoke about it at some point i wasn't after rumours, just curious. it doesn't matter xx

Thing is though, Meat's private life is just that - private. I'm sure many of us would like to know absolutely everything (it's only natural to be curious I guess) but as fans, it's not really any of our business.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, I know it's all part of the 'celebrity' kinda thing to have details of personal lives splashed around online/in the papers etc but I know if I were in Meat's shoes, I wouldn't be at all comfortable with this sort of discussion.

was just curious but most of Meat's personal life was in the biography he had out. Was just an innocent question wish i'd never mentioned it now, just forget i ever said anything!

Let's take a step back here about the divorce thing. Of course your question is completely valid and many people will have been wondering exactly that. I think the danger is that if we start discussing it then we could be creating all sorts of rumours etc which will get us nowhere and may just harm people who are involved and most of whom cannot defend themselves here. Don't worry about it.

:coffee:

totally agree.

You might all agree for all i know but you could have just said oh we don't discuss things like that on here rather than making me feel awful for asking such a question

nobody makes you awful. Were just expressing our opinions on the matter of Meat's privacy.

i know but it was the way i was told, i didn't know asking would be a big thing! We all know so much about Meat anyway but hey ho nevermind i won't ask again sorry folks

Thanks for posting the article Ross..i went and bought a people as soon as i realised..its a good article and i just love the main photo of Meat that comes with it...

Whats the photo like that came with the article?

i dont think you were out of order asking, in my opinion if Meat talks about it in an interview/boigraphy or any other means then it's fine as he has chosen to put it out there but as far as i know he hasnt ever spoken of it so therefore we shouldnt speculate, i for one dont believe you were asking about speculation just if anything was KNOWN so in answer to your question, no i dont think anything is known hun.

my printer is not working at mo so i cannot scan it .i wonder if anyone else has a people who could put it on here ..its just a really nice pic..looks like a recent one

I have to say that the songs sung, and how they were performed on the Casa tour is much better than 3 bats, although I enjoyed them equally. Personally, with regards to some comments about future team ups etc; it would be great to see Jim Steinman and Meat together again, lets face it, Meatloaf's most memorable songs are written by Steinman. Although I can't think of a single song that I do not like. Right now I think that we should keep on enjoying what Meat is doing for his fans, and would be grateful for any new albums! Don't we all wish we could have seen Meat in the older hayday? PS. How true about what he said about pop groups! Meat deserves to be in R'n'R hall of fame for being consistently great on tour and on album, and he is 60 for crying out loud! (lol, cheap song reference.)

Thanks Dj and i totally agree thats what i meant and if he hasn't ever spoken about then he doesn't want people to know and i understand. thanks for understanding my post and the answering my post as a no. hxxx

everyone loves gossip right?

I think that's the only reason we want to know, since he seems happy in his current life...

good interview though

I dont think it is gossip tho cos we actually care!! Gossip is more your Posh Spice/Angelina stuff IMHO!!

gossip is anything from what your neighbour is doing to...what did meat loaf eat for breakfast?

he divorced from leslie...he's very dignified about the whole thing (which i respect him for) and he's married again...


I know there's a message somewhere from me from years ago asking about it and i thankfully didn't get an answer

These are the 2 main pics that appeared in yesterday's The People - past and present:

http://media.mlxxfc.net/Meat Loaf1.jpg

http://media.mlxxfc.net/Meat Loaf2.jpg

Sorry about the scan quality - the paper is incredibly thin!

Diane

Thanks Diane:))

Thanks for the pictures that top one is gorgeous hehe

Heg only asked a question with no malice god thers some people in here like bloddy robots with there attitudes and answers, your only running people of this site i hope the moderators reading this, Wake up and smell the coffeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Am I robot?
I never said that Heg couldn't ask or it could not be discussed. However don't you think some people would perhaps find it a bit weird to have Meat Loaf himself posting in one thread and us debating his private love life and possibly creating rumours in another on the same website? If Meat himself had discussed this matter publicly (ie any more info than the article) it would have been pointed out here probably.
These are mine opinions on the matter and not the opinions of the mods/website owners.

I may have overreacted (Did I say that?) and for that I apologise. So sorry Heg for biting your head off.

What he ate for breakfast, the colour of his socks, his undies, what shampoo he uses etc etc etc, isn't gossip, it's psychosis :tard:

Pud :twisted:

probably, but you can guarantee someone will want to know...because we have so many pieces of information thrown at us and have freely available, the little thing called privacy generally doesn't stop people

Absolutely you'll get those who want to know every single scrap of nonsensical information there is about him. Obtaining copies of his Birth Certificate, sleeping with his old clothes etc, that's when they go from just being a fan to a fanatic and Meat Loaf IS their life rather than living their life and Meat just being a small part of it. :nuts:

Pud :twisted:

hmm makes me wonder what Meat's undies look like .... never mind ..... :|

lol

Now now.....nobody in this intire world could be such a sick weirdo to want to sleep in his clothes.........:lmao:

As far as being a fan goes I definitely say that I'm a fan of his music/of him as musician. Whoever hes doing in his spare time doesnt and shouldnt interest me.

Amen to that fair brother! Although I love sleeping in the occasional ruffle now and then ......

I said sleeping 'with' not in and there are some.

I have no interest whatsoever what Meat Loaf does in his spare and private time, in fact if I knew it would probably give me nightmares :shock:

Pud :twisted:

i know....that comment was meant to be sarcastic

come on guys Heg was just asking if anything had been reported, yes there are fans who take it too far but can we just drop it now, we agree his private life is just that he's apparantly happy now so thats all anyone needs to know,however we dont need loads of posts damning the original question :roll: making the poor girl feel like a nut

I dont think anyone is damning Heg's question, at least I am not. This is simply a discussion on our views on how far we should go with duscussing Meat's private life.
Heg's post only caused it.
Sorry Heg if it appeared like we were criticising (sp?) you.

Sorry Rj it just appears to me that there isnt really a discussion as you're all saying the same thing effectively ;)

And you guys did kinda jump on her about it!! I answered someones question once about Meat's private life and was politely told not to discuss it but if i'd been jumped on like that i would've been mortified and probably never posted again!!

I can see talking about Meat's undies and sleeping with/in his clothes is a bit off topic, and sorry for aiding the jumping on her on that. No offense intended

so ... uhhhhh ... lets-a refresh this-a topic:

Man 40 years, wish there was a place where you could get your voiced changed (like sex changes or plastic surgery) so then Meat could get his old voice back and do his stuff for another 5-10 odd years.

Point taken...apologies

Please dont apologise hon XXX I think for another 2 weeks Heg is still a newbie after that we can get her(only joking Heg!!)

What does this mean? :oops:

Article says his weight increased to something like 140kg during the 2007 tour. I think he said in the interview on the One Show he lost around 20kg between November and March or so.
Imperial measurements are useless.

140 kg?? never. I believe a lot of crap but I cant believe that.

100 maybe or max 110...

then again, the article said it was rumours that stated 22 stone, right?

They're just saying he has lost alot of weight Ankie :-)

Does seem a lot to me as well. I'd say he was/is something like 20 kilos less than those figures (ie more in the region of 100kg right now - even if it is that much).

didnt he claim he was ~140kg during the BOOH era?

I still work in lbs and stones;)LOL...so 2.2lbs in a kilo..140 kilos means 22 stone. Not that i really care;)LOL...

my unqualified guess would be that he was ~110 last year and is now ~90.

(if thats not obsessed fan stalking invading his privacy i dont know what is lol)

Please tell me his BMI, I need to know! :))

HIGH


there you have it :D

wonder if his is higher than mine :lol:

I agree. I wasn't criticising Heg one bit.

That's a bit dramatic as no one jumped on her about it. The conversation might have taken off in a different direction but it wasn't in reference to Heg or about Heg. It's misinterpretations of people's posts like that that causes more problems than anything.

Pud :twisted:

I'm sorry but you are wrong!! I was surprised at the replies especially from Andrew(whose a very well balanced person) I dont think his first post can be misinterpreted in anyway and nobody took time to explain to Heg that we just dont talk about Meats private life on here


I think what causes more problems on here is people being consistantly rude and then when offence is taken, blaming misinterpretation!!

I have just finally got around to reading this and thanks for finding and posting it Ross, it was a really good find and made a really enjoyable read :metal:, made me smile in parts.

Andrew's first reply to Heg was balanced and not offensive at all. His second reply clarified his position: "Please do not leave. I do not dictate the rules and I am probably wrong here. I just do not want to be part of a discussion that I think could harm Meat's family. Don't take my word for it. But you are right they were an amazing couple together." And several people did take the time to comment that we don't talk about Meats private life on here.

Perhaps Heg is being a bit too sensitive about the comments, but I aint seeing anyone jumping on her about it. As I think Heg is a well liked person on the forum.

Pud :twisted:

I do not think that saying you will not visit a thread again is very balanced it struck me as a very strange thing for Andrew to say as he is usually the voice of reason on here!! At no point did i say anyone was offensive when i answered someones question about Meats private life i was told nicely that it wasn't discussed on here and that was the end of it!!
If Heg is being over sensitive about the comments then so am i and i think some people are just not sensitive enough!! Heg has only been on here a year even tho she has fitted in so well it feels like longer and i dont think this subject has come up in that time so she wouldn't know our unwritten rule about this!!

It's strange and unbalanced that someone gave their opinion about a topic?... blimey, that is strange :))

Pud :twisted:

I had no idea that it was something not to be mentioned and no one did explain that to me at first, i was jumped on a bit and it's put me off posting slightly. But i'm ok i know now and i'm not over sensitive was just a bit shocked. i apologise that i mentioned it and thanks for the apologies i have received. Lets forget the whole thing. The article is very good though and really sweet and the picture with it is very VERY nice hehe!

Misinterpretation is a wonderful thing isn't it!!!

:?
That is probably not true. I have never claimed I am "balanced". In fact some people who know me privately will probably claim the exact opposite.

I would have posted my initial comment in response to anyone asking that question, it was not a personal attack. I merely voiced my opinion saying that I do not want to be part of a public internet discussion (where Meat posts himself) on why Meat and Lesley are divorced, nor do I actually want to be part of a "fan site" where such debates are deemed completely normal. There is no unwritten rule I followed, I used my own judgement to react like that. It was a spur of the moment thing, the way I usually post.

I know now that it seems to hurt people, so consider this my last post for a while.

are we still talking about this?

http://media.mlxxfc.net/chickendejavu.jpg

ok this has gotten stupid :roll:

I actually didnt mean Andrew personally, yes the original post was a bit abrasive but no more than that but my post was more about the reference to nutty fans and given that this convo sprouted from Heg's question i just felt it was a little off to be talking like that when she couldve felt like she was being tarred with the same brush. I just couldnt believe that out of quite an insightful interview all that was being discussed was his private life or whether it shouldnt be. Dont think its really fair to dump it all on Andrew, now can this be dropped please as you were all saying the same thing anyway :roll:


in my limited experience of meeting her, this is so true, i couldnt believe how sweet and and friendly she was, she actually made you feel like she wanted to meet you. If there is any justice in this world at all, which unfortunately there rarely is in this industry, then this girl will have an awesome career, great music,great voice and awesome person.

" now can this be dropped please as you were all saying the same thing anyway :roll: "

Please lets and i'm sorry that i started all this, now i know the unwritten rule i wont ask owt like that again! just be gentle with me though i'm learning this whole post thing lol.

I'm glad you got the sarcasm of my post ;) I did put a :)) at the end just incase.

Pud :twisted:

I didn't know about the unwritten rule either Heg..and if i were you i would have felt that people thought i was being prurient and would have felt very upset indeed. Perhaps the unwritten rule about not referring to Meat's private life SHOULD be written somewhere because it can be deeply upsetting if one asks a taboo question with no idea that it will cause offence. I know that i am always mortified if one of my questions or remarks gets a disapproving response because i am a fan and am only here to celebrate Meat and his achievements. We are fans because Meat's music causes a very powerful emotional response in us. Therefore misunderstandings about our motives are going to be much more personally upsetting than if they were about something of less significance to us.
I hope this makes sense.

Makes perfect sense Bella!

Thanks 24. Btw i adore your avatar!

Thanks, it was a great moment!

Perhaps one of the mods should write down the unwritten rules...LOL

I had one of them once...I'm sure I did...I just can't remember when :?

Pud :twisted:

LOL....