Grammy Award-winning musician Michael Lee Aday, famously known as Meat Loaf, made a significant mark on the music and film industry.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Marvin Lee Aday had a difficult upbringing. His father, a police officer, would often go on drinking binges resulting in violent behavior that he and his mother would have to deal with. Aday was a victim of bullying in elementary and middle school because of his weight. The teasing event prompted him to officially request his name change from Marvin to Michael in court which the judge granted.

Despite his troubling childhood, Meat Loaf remained ambitious for the future. After graduating high school, he attended the Christian college North Texas State University (presently known as the University of North Texas).

In 1967, the Dallas native moved to Los Angeles to pursue his entertainment dreams. Shortly after settling in the ‘City of Angels,’ he started working as a bouncer and began his first band, “Meat Loaf Soul.”

After residing in LA for a few years, Meat Loaf moved to New York in 1970, where he had a successful run on Broadway. He landed roles in the Broadway musicals “Rockabye Hamlet,” “Hair,” and “The Rocky Horror Show.” The singer also had parts in many Off-Broadway shows such as “More Than You Deserve,” “Rainbow,” “National Lampoon Show,” the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of “As You Like It,” and many more productions. His debut role that skyrocketed his film career was in the 1975 cult classic movie musical “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” He starred in the popular movies “Wayne’s World” and “Fight Club.”

Known for his powerful voice and theatrical concert performances, Meat Loaf was a rock music legend. In 1977, he and songwriter Jim Steinman released their ‘opera rock’ album titled “Bat Out Of Hell.” The album broke records and sold over 50 million copies worldwide, tying second place with AC/DC for the top-selling record of all time. The platinum album featured the hit songs “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” After getting back together in 1993, Meat Loaf and Steinman released a second album, “Bat Out Of Hell II,” which became the top-selling album in the US, UK, and 26 other countries. Meat Loaf’s singles and albums earned him many awards, including a Grammy and Brit awards.

Meat said in an interview with “PopMatters” that his music is not about being famous despite all of his success and notoriety. “It’s like I don’t want to be a star. I don’t want to walk on a red carpet. I don’t care if my pictures are in People magazine. I don’t care about that. I care about my work. My work and my audiences are the most important thing[s] in my life.”

Meat Loaf often proclaimed his strong Christian faith. Growing up in Dallas, he frequently attended church and sang in the choir.

He once stated that God had a purpose for his life, “God put me on this Earth to help my fellow man, to have a kind heart, to be a good person.”

His faith is evident in some of his songs with religious meanings such as “Fall from Grace” and “40 Days”.

“I’ll be honest with you. I pray every night, and if I skip a night, I apologize for skipping it”, he shared in an interview with “PopMatters.” “I thank [God] for my blessings because I’ve been very blessed, and I pray for my family, and I pray for people who are ill, who I find out are sick or whatever.”

Tragically, the rock and roll singer passed away on January 20, 2022. He was 74 years old. The cause of death was not given when his manager, Michael Green, announced the unfortunate news of his passing.

He is survived by his wife Deborah and his two children, Pearl and Amanda.