Tragic Details About Meat Loaf

The following article includes mentions of child abuse, domestic violence, addiction, and mental health struggles.

In late January 2022, fans mourned the death of musical artist Meat Loaf, who died at age 74. His family announced his death on Facebook, writing in part, "Our hearts are broken." The "I'd Do Anything for Love" singer is remembered not only as a true rock legend and talented actor, but also for being, as his loved ones put it, "an inspiring artist and beautiful man."

As pointed out by his family, Meat Loaf had a successful career that "spanned 6 decades that saw him sell over 100 Million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies." Before his death, the musician, who was born Marvin Lee Aday, recalled to Mojo (via The Guardian) that when it came to his life, "The music was epic, the success was epic, everything that came with it was epic." However, he didn't seem to let it get to his head, since he noted that being considered a big star "was not based in reality." Meat Loaf added, "To me, the whole celebrity thing was and is a lot of bulls***."

Perhaps Meat Loaf's views on fame were from still experiencing a difficult life. The Dallas native had a traumatizing childhood that was later followed by several brushes with death, being involved in devastating accidents, an array of health issues, and even financial troubles. While the rocker, of course, seemed to overcome every obstacle that was thrown his way, it had to have an impact on who he was as a person. So, let's break down the tragic details of Meat Loaf.

Meat Loaf was very open with the fact that he had a traumatic childhood, blaming a lot of that on his father, Orvis Wesley Aday. In 2013, the "Fight Club" actor revealed to The Big Issue, "My dad was an alcoholic who would disappear for three or four days at a time." During those times, Meat Loaf would often accompany his mother, Wilma Aday, when she'd go looking for him at different bars. He also spent a lot of time at his grandmother's house, per The Biography Channel.

What made matters much worse was that Orvis was a violent drunk, who frequently beat a young Meat Loaf. The "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" singer recalled, "I don't remember him hitting my mother, though that could be blocked out, but he would hit me and throw me around." He'd previously reiterated to People how hard that made his life, with the outlet noting that "happy early memories [were] rare" for the multitalented star.

Despite the abuse, Meat Loaf eventually forgave his dad, explaining to The Big Issue, "Alcohol is a disease. I don't hold a grudge and I love my father." He added how that experience shaped him, saying, "I take responsibility for my own actions as an adult." Meat Loaf also shared how he coped with those memories, once dishing (via the Daily Mail), "He died a long time ago, and in my mind we're now friends. I don't hold him responsible for anything that's happened to me."

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If life at home wasn't bad enough for a young Meat Loaf, he didn't have it much easier at school, where he was bullied by other kids for being overweight. The rock star had already weighed 240 lbs. by the time he hit 7th grade, recalling to Rolling Stone in 2018, "Oh, man, I was tormented." The Daily Mail reports that he later changed his name from Marvin to Michael due to the ensuing teasing. He explained to Blender (via the Irish Examiner), "Levi's had a commercial on the radio that said, 'Poor fat Marvin can't wear Levi's.' And I was fat. It nearly destroyed me." He continued, "I'm still not over it. ... I've always been the poor fat Marvin that can't wear Levi's."

Eventually, in high school, Meat Loaf put his larger stature to good use by playing football. He dished to The Big Issue, "At the age of 16 I was preoccupied with American football. Because I got to hit people. I took my anger out."

Unfortunately, though, Meat Loaf would continue to have problems with his weight for most of his life, often fluctuating on different diets. He told the Daily Mail in 2020, "I once did a low carb diet and lost 70 lbs. but I put it all back on." At another point, he told the Mirror, "I am losing more weight. ... I just stopped eating." Detailing his rather strict diet in 2016, Meat Loaf noted, "I have lost almost 50 lbs. now. It's not as much wear and tear on my legs, knees and back."

Meat Loaf was understandably devastated by the death of his mother, Wilma Aday, with whom he had a close relationship. He recalled to the Daily Mail, "My mother taught English and I happened to be in her class." He continued, "She would say ... 'You've got to come to a higher standard than everyone else.'" He also credited his mother for inspiring his love of music, presumably since she herself was a gospel quartet singer, per BBC News. Sadly, Meat Loaf didn't have too many memories of her, though, telling The Big Issue, "My mother was ill with breast cancer for so long, there's a lot of my childhood that I've just blocked out."

Despite the longevity of her disease, Aday's death hit Meat Loaf hard. He explained, "My mother died when I was 18 and that's something — maybe a psychologist would help me deal with that." Things were so emotional for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" star that he claimed to Classic Rock magazine (via the Daily Mail) that during her funeral he yelled, "You can't have her!" while holding onto her body as she lay in the coffin.

Meat Loaf seemed to carry a lot of guilt surrounding her death, too. He revealed to The Big Issue, "If I could go back to my teenage self I'd tell him not to yell at his mother. Her last words were 'Where were you?' because I had run away to California because I couldn't deal with it." He added, "It took me 10 years to deal with her death."

Meat Loaf had a strained relationship with his father not only because Orvis Wesley Aday was an abusive alcoholic, but also because his dad apparently tried to kill him. The rock star revealed that it happened when he was 18 after his mother's funeral, recalling to Rolling Stone, "I rolled off the bed just as he put that knife right in the mattress." Luckily, Meat Loaf was able to defend himself, saying, "I fought for my life. Apparently I broke three ribs and his nose, and left the house barefoot in a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt."

Despite the shocking violence bestowed on him by his own dad, Meat Loaf later defended him to the Daily Mail, saying, "He was an alcoholic and he didn't know what he was doing." He continued, "We had a difficult relationship, but I don't bear him any animosity." After that incident, though, the singer reportedly didn't see much reason to stay in Texas and moved to Los Angeles to begin his music career.

Perhaps it's because of his success, and from his understanding that his father had a disease, that he later once said (via the Mirror), "I've forgiven my father." It's from that forgiveness that Meat Loaf seemingly found strength in himself, too, as he dished to the Daily Mail, "I have no time for people who blame their parents. 'My father tried to kill me' is a lame excuse. Everyone has a mind of their own and is capable of change."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Meat Loaf's father's alleged attempt to fatally stab him wasn't the "Bat Out of Hell" singer's only brush with death. He told The Telegraph in 2016, "I've fallen three stories, been in car wrecks, near misses, emergency landings so many times I should have died." He even jokingly referred to himself as "a cat with 48 lives."

One of those close calls in particular happened his sophomore year of high school, when he was hit in the head with a 12-pound shot put. He recalled to Contact Music, "There was no way anyone thought it would be tossed that far. ... But the guy who hit me was the champion of Dallas." Rolling Stone reports how he often credited that injury with giving him his vocal prowess. Head injuries seemed to be something Meat Loaf was used to, though, telling Ultimate Classic Rock, "I've had 18 concussions."

The Dallas native also dished that he'd "been in eight car wrecks." One rollover crash left him especially shook up, and he refused to sit in the same seat he'd been in during that accident again, according to the Mirror. But Meat Loaf didn't have better luck with planes, either, as he revealed to Ultimate Classic Rock, "I've been in a plane that didn't have front landing gear when we came down. I've been in a plane that lost its hydraulics on landing ... two other planes, one private and one normal that the wind hit us so hard the wing hit the runway."

Meat Loaf had more than his fair share of serious health problems over the years before he reportedly died from COVID-19 complications. Prior to his death, the singer revealed how what he called his "worst" incident (via the Mirror) came in 2003, when he experienced heart attack-like symptoms and lost consciousness mid-concert performance. However, Billboard reported that his symptoms of "dizziness" and "an irregular heartbeat" actually stemmed from his Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome diagnosis. He went on to have catheter ablation surgery and claimed, per the Mirror, that because of that operation's success, the issues would "never happen again."

What may have been even more devastating for the singer, though, happened in 2011, when he had a vocal cord hemorrhage after previously straining his voice years earlier. He told the Daily Mail, "I always want to sing. I had a swollen vocal cord and protruding blood vessels, so it was a struggle." He got into more graphic detail with Contact Music, saying, "I was spitting blood every night on stage. ... It was like ... you cut your finger really bad and it's bleeding everywhere, that's how blood was coming out of my throat."

Then there were his back problems, which he said resulted in significant surgery. He explained to the Mirror (via The Sun), "The doctors said I had a little cyst but that it had grown and was pushing against the nerves." He continued, "When the doctor opened up my back to remove it ... it was almost like ­emergency surgery. There are now little nuts and bolts in there."

Meat Loaf may have rocked the stage, but you could say there were multiple times when the stage rocked him. According to the Mirror, his first onstage injury happened back in 1978, when he jumped off of a high platform during a show and broke his leg. For the remainder of that particular tour, the musician used a wheelchair to move around the stage.

There were also incidents where Meat Loaf would collapse during performances. As previously mentioned, Meat Loaf first passed out on stage in 2003 from heart issues. Years later, while performing again in 2011, the "Black Dog" actor ended up flat on his back after having an asthma attack, explaining to the crowd at the time (via The U.S. Sun), "I f***ing fainted. I have asthma, I can't breathe." In 2016, it was "dehydration" that led Meat Loaf to faint once more mid-concert. He recalled on "This Morning," per The Sun, "All of a sudden I started feeling dizzy. I thought 'I don't want to fall, so I'm just going to sit down.' As I was going down, I just went out."

Meat Loaf also fell off of a stage in 2019 while hosting a Texas Frightmare Weekend Q&A session. According to TMZ, he had "lost his balance" somehow while walking and "tumbl[ed]" off the back of the podium, breaking his collarbone and also injuring his neck and shoulder. The AP reported that he later filed a negligence lawsuit against the convention's organizers and the hotel where it was held, accusing them of having a "hidden hazard" on stage.

Despite his super successful "Bat Out of Hell" album in 1977, Meat Loaf had major financial problems. Things got so bad that, in the late 1980s, the rock legend had to declare bankruptcy. He later revealed to the Daily Mail, "Everyone thinks it made me rich and it's still humiliating because I declared bankruptcy and everybody said, 'Oh, he's spent all his money,' but that wasn't the case." He continued, "I made almost nothing. ... The record company said it never made a profit."

It also probably didn't help that, as Meat Loaf told The Guardian, at one point, he had about 45 lawsuits against him, which amounted to $80 million. In terms of why he kept getting sued, he explained that his record label and songwriting partner's former manager were "playing games with me ... and the only way to stop them playing their game was to declare a chapter 11 bankruptcy. Because every time we'd get one case dismissed, they'd throw another one at me." He also pointed out that, "CBS did not pay my royalties until 1997. I got paid the royalties for 'Bat Out of Hell' 20 years later."

Being broke was hard on Meat Loaf and his family. He recalled to Rolling Stone back in 1993, "It was horrible. The kids took a beating." The rock star added, "My wife would try to write a check at the grocery store, and they wouldn't take it." Luckily, Meat Loaf was able to bounce back financially after his popular album, "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell," dropped that same year.

While Meat Loaf had a complicated relationship with his songwriting partner, Jim Steinman, he took his death very hard. The two did have a few rifts, with Steinman telling Rolling Stone in 1993, "I spent seven months trying to make a follow-up to 'Bat Out of Hell' with him, and it was an infernal nightmare. ... He was pretty much losing his mind." There were also multiple lawsuits between the two of them, but Meat Loaf insisted it wasn't what it was made out to be in the press. He dished, "Our managers sued each other. But my heart never sued Jim. And I know Jim's heart never sued me."

It's what was in his heart that made it very painful for Meat Loaf to process Steinman's death from kidney failure in 2021. The "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" singer admitted to the outlet, "I don't want to die, but I may die this year because of Jim." He continued to express how important their relationship was, saying, "We belonged heart and soul to each other. We didn't know each other. We were each other."

Meat Loaf also took to Facebook to pay tribute to Steinman in his own way, posting a series of photos of them together and writing, "Coming here soon, My brotherJimmy. Fly Jimmy Fly." Music producer Pete Waterman also opened up about how Steinman's death impacted Meat Loaf, saying on "Good Morning Britain" (via Express), "It's like when your partner does go it takes a part of you away."

It seems that Meat Loaf didn't really have a lot of friends because of his career. He revealed to The Irish News in 2020, "I've worked my entire life so I didn't have time for friends, except for people I worked with. I didn't 'hang out' a lot." His songwriting partner, Jim Steinman, was one of the few people that he was able to connect with, with Meat Loaf telling Rolling Stone the following year, "I've always been with Jim and Jim has always been with me."

It also appears that the "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" singer had high standards for others. "I want a person to take pride in his job," he explained to Classic Rock magazine, adding, "I will never be lazy a day in my life. And I'm prepared to tell someone to their face if they are."

Additionally, Meat Loaf said he had social anxiety, telling the Regina Leader-Post in 2010 that because of that, "I don't even go anywhere. ... I lead a boring life." The former Connecticut resident reiterated that outside of work, "I never meet anybody much in a social situation because when I go into a social situation, I have no idea what to do." However, even when it came to some work events, Meat Loaf admitted, "​​I'm so nervous, so scared. ... I don't want to walk down a red carpet." It seems that despite being able to perform concerts for millions, Meat Loaf struggled with being himself offstage.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Following Meat Loaf's rise to fame in the 1970s, the "Heaven Can Wait" singer initially struggled with his rock star status. According to The U.S. Sun, he'd overdo it to the point of needing oxygen following a concert. Offstage, he was living the typical rocker life, trashing hotel rooms and going on cocaine binges. Meat Loaf later reflected, "I was the perfect monster."

That lifestyle, combined with a strained vocal cord issue, led Meat Loaf to eventually have what he called an "emotional breakdown," for which he drank alcohol to cope, per People. As he explained in the 1993 interview, "I didn't know how to deal with what was going on around me. ... I didn't want the responsibility anymore." However, because of therapy and his supportive wife at the time, Leslie G. Edmonds, he eventually felt "unbelievably happy," taking time away from the spotlight and moving to Connecticut. He dished, "I was much happier taking a Little League team to 10-0 than I was selling 10 million albums."

Sadly though, Edmonds and Meat Loaf ended up divorcing in 2001 after 22 years of marriage. While that was another tragic blow to the star, he found love again with Deborah Aday (née Gillespie), whom he was married to from 2007 up until his death. She gushed in a statement to People, "From the day we met, he was my world and I loved him." So, it seems that while life wasn't always kind to Meat Loaf, he'll always be remembered for how he brought joy to so many others.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.