Meat Loaf: Heaven Can Wait
Meat Loaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday), whose music career spanned six decades, has passed away at 74. Best known for his theatrical, operatic rock ballads, he sold over 100 million records across the world and appeared in various cult films including The Rocky Horror Picture Show (he was also in the original Roxy cast), Fight Club, Wayne’s World and Spice World. Despite his appearance in Rocky Horror, it was in 1977 that Meat Loaf broke into the mainstream with his debut album, Bat Out of Hell. The epic was developed from composer Jim Steinman’s rock musical called Neverland (based on Peter Pan) and produced by Todd Rundgren. In 1972 Steinman had Bette Midler sing the 1972 demo for “Heaven Can Wait,” but it found a home on Meat Loaf’s album and, thanks to his dramatic delivery, transformed. This over the top sound became Meat Loaf’s trademark—dismissed by some, but beloved by many.
