Meat Loaf ‘sick with Covid’ before death
Singer and actor Meat Loaf reportedly died after being diagnosed with Covid as his condition quickly became critical. The singer, born Marvin Lee Aday, died Friday at age 74 with wife Deborah by his side.
TMZ reports he was supposed to attend a business dinner earlier this week for a dating show he was working on — I’d Do Anything for Love — but the dinner was cancelled because he became seriously ill with Covid.
According to TMZ he was “outspoken about Covid, railing with folks in Australia recently about vaccine mandates”.
In his last Facebook post on November 29 he wrote excitedly about his non-stop schedule. It included new appearances on Cameo, an app where fans can buy personalised videos from celebrities.
Meat Loaf’s career spanned six decades, shooting to fame with his powerful, wide-ranging voice. The rock veteran sold millions of albums worldwide, with the Bat Out Of Hell trilogy among his most popular.
The rock veteran had been plagued with health issues and rumours he was dying ever since he collapsed onstage in June 2016 and had appeared in a number of interviews with slurred speech. But he did have back surgery nearly two months ago to remove a cyst on his back.
In 2012, Meat Loaf claimed in an interview with Tinnitist that dying on stage would be the “best thing” that could happen to him.
“Because then I’m dying doing what I love.”
Meat Loaf was last pictured on March 27 last
year when he performed with country artist John Rich at Redneck Riviera in Nashville.
A tribute posted on Meat Loaf’s official Facebook page this week, in part read: “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side.”
He appeared in more than 50 movies and television shows — including the 1997 film Spice World. In 1973, he was cast in the original LA Roxy cast of The Rocky Horror Show, playing the parts of Eddie and Dr Everett Scott. The rock star was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1947, forming his first band Meat Loaf Soul in the 1960s.