50 Fun Facts About Meat Loaf

What was Meat Loaf's birth name?

He legally changed Marvin to Michael in 1984 after being haunted by a Levi's commercial that mocked "poor fat Marvin".

In which city was Meat Loaf born in 1947?

At 16 he saw President Kennedy arrive at Dallas Love Field on the morning of the assassination.

What did his father say the newborn looked like, putting "Meat" on his crib?

He said he was born bright red and stayed that way for days.

Who reportedly yelled "Get off my foot, you hunk of meatloaf!" at the young Aday?

He played defensive tackle at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas.

How did Meat Loaf try to fail his Vietnam draft physical?

He still got a notice to appear before the draft board, and ignored it.

What was the name of his first band, formed in Los Angeles?

It later became Popcorn Blizzard and Floating Circus as guitarists came and went.

Which musical gave Meat Loaf the publicity that led to a Motown invitation?

He later rejoined its cast on Broadway after touring in the off-Broadway show Rainbow.

With whom did Meat Loaf record a 1971 Motown duet album?

Stoney & Meatloaf spelled his name as one word and yielded the single What You See Is What You Get.

At the audition for which show did Meat Loaf first meet Jim Steinman?

He got the part of Rabbit, a soldier who blows up his comrades so they can go home.

Which two roles did Meat Loaf play in the original L.A. cast of The Rocky Horror Show?

In the 1975 film he played only Eddie, a change he felt made the movie weaker than the stage show.

For which guitarist's 1976 album Free-for-All did Meat Loaf sing lead on five tracks?

He filled in when regular vocalist Derek St. Holmes temporarily quit the band.

Meat Loaf was understudy to which comedian in The National Lampoon Show?

It was there he met Ellen Foley, his duet partner on Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

Who produced Bat Out of Hell, believing the duo already had a record deal?

He also played lead guitar, including the motorcycle-sounding solo on the title track.

Which label finally took a chance on Bat Out of Hell in October 1977?

Founder Steve Popovich was sold by the spoken-word intro to You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth.

Bat Out of Hell grew out of which Steinman musical?

It was a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan written for a 1974 workshop.

Which two members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band played on Bat Out of Hell?

Van Zandt did help, by putting the team in touch with Cleveland International.

Which Yankees announcer calls the baseball play-by-play in Paradise by the Dashboard Light?

Rizzuto publicly claimed not to know his call would be equated with sex; Meat Loaf said he knew exactly.

Who sings the female part on the album version of Paradise by the Dashboard Light?

Karla DeVito toured and lip-synced in the videos because Foley was unavailable.

Who illustrated the Bat Out of Hell album cover of a motorcycle bursting from a grave?

Q magazine ranked it 71st among the hundred best record covers of all time in 2001.

Which saxophonist plays on All Revved Up with No Place to Go?

Members of Rundgren's Utopia, Kasim Sulton, Roger Powell and Willie Wilcox, also played on the album.

Roughly how many copies has Bat Out of Hell sold worldwide?

It is certified 14 times platinum in the US and is the best-selling album ever in Australia.

In which country is Bat Out of Hell the best-selling album of all time?

It knocked the Bee Gees off number one there and is certified 26 times platinum.

Which band did his touring group open for at its very first gig, in Chicago?

Two months later he got national exposure as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

How did Meat Loaf finish his 1978 tour after jumping off a stage in Ottawa?

The jump broke his leg.

Who ended up singing Bad for Good, the intended Bat Out of Hell follow-up, in 1981?

Touring, drugs and exhaustion had cost Meat Loaf his voice, so Steinman recorded it under pressure from the label.

Who sings the female lead on the 1981 hit Dead Ringer for Love?

The song failed to chart in the US but reached number 5 in the UK and stayed 19 weeks on the chart.

Which film did Meat Loaf star in as Travis Redfish while waiting for his voice to return?

It was released in 1980, the year before Dead Ringer.

Which two Steinman songs did Meat Loaf say he was offered but his label refused for 1983?

Bonnie Tyler's and Air Supply's versions sat at numbers one and two together during 1983.

In what year did Meat Loaf file for personal bankruptcy?

Poor money management and 45 lawsuits totalling $80 million cost him the rights to his songs.

Which Who frontman duets on the title track of 1984's Bad Attitude?

He recorded the album in England, where he said he felt increasingly at home.

In what year was Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell released?

Work began in December 1990, and the album sold more than 15 million copies.

In how many countries did I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) reach number one?

It held the UK top spot for seven consecutive weeks.

Who was the female vocalist credited only as "Mrs. Loud" on I'd Do Anything for Love?

The English club singer had only recorded guide vocals and was asked six months later if they could be used.

Which Grammy did Meat Loaf win in March 1994?

It was for I'd Do Anything for Love, at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards.

Who directed the three music videos from Bat Out of Hell II?

The clip for Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through features a young Angelina Jolie as a runaway.

Which future star plays the runaway girl in the Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through video?

The Objects in the Rear View Mirror video, with Robert Patrick, used aircraft imagery Bay reused in Armageddon.

Roughly how long is the full album version of I'd Do Anything for Love?

It opens with a guitar made to sound like a revving motorcycle, echoing Rundgren's part on the first album.

Which songwriter wrote I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) and Not a Dry Eye in the House?

Both were top-ten UK hits from 1995's Welcome to the Neighborhood.

Which medical condition caused Meat Loaf's 2003 collapse at Wembley Arena?

Afterwards his insurers capped his concerts at one hour and 45 minutes.

Who produced Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose in 2006?

Its lead single, It's All Coming Back to Me Now with Marion Raven, entered the UK chart at number 6.

Why did Meat Loaf sue Jim Steinman and his manager in 2006?

Steinman had registered the phrase as a trademark in 1995; they settled in July 2006.

Which Green Day producer worked with Meat Loaf on 2010's Hang Cool Teddy Bear?

Jack Black duets on the album and Hugh Laurie plays piano on one track.

Which character did Meat Loaf play in Fight Club?

He reportedly also helped director David Fincher with the film's editing.

What job does his character Dennis have in Spice World (1997)?

The character, Dennis, drives the girls' Union Jack double-decker.

Meat Loaf appears uncredited as whose father in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny?

He sings on the film's opening song, Kickapoo.

With which fellow contestant did Meat Loaf have a televised showdown on Celebrity Apprentice?

He was eliminated after task 12 of season 11 in 2011.

Which English football club did Meat Loaf support?

In 2003 the BBC reported he was looking for a home in the town.

His adopted daughter Pearl married the rhythm guitarist of which metal band?

He adopted Pearl in 1979 after marrying her mother, Leslie Edmonds, a secretary at Bearsville Studios.

Which 2016 album reunited Meat Loaf with Jim Steinman's songs for the last time?

Steinman died of kidney failure in April 2021, nine months before Meat Loaf.

In which city did Meat Loaf die on January 20, 2022?

He was 74 and had been living in Brentwood, Tennessee; no official cause of death was released.