10 Incredible Meat Loaf Stories That Proves He Lived A Very Fulfilled Life

When Meat Loaf passed away at 74 in early 2022, his death unleashed a torrent of stories on social media. His life offstage was as dramatic and captivating as his music.

From surviving an attempt on his life by his own father to encountering Charles Manson and almost clashing with Prince Andrew, Meat Loaf’s adventures were larger than life. He played various roles, from a devoted softball coach to a quirky rubber duck collector, and even believed in ghosts.

This article explores ten of the most incredible stories from Meat Loaf’s life. Though he often embellished his tales, these stories highlight a man who truly lived a remarkable and unpredictable life.

1. A Bet Lost Over the Mystery of “I’d Do Anything for Love”

Meat Loaf’s hit song “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” is famously cryptic, thanks to Jim Steinman’s complex lyrics. The repeated line “I won’t do that” leaves listeners guessing what “that” actually refers to. Meat Loaf explained in 2016, “By the time you get to the end of all those ‘I’d do anything for love,’ you don’t remember what the line is that you won’t do.”

The ambiguity was part of a bet between Meat Loaf and Steinman. Steinman wagered a hundred dollars, saying, “Nobody’s going to know what ‘that’ is,” to which Meat Loaf replied, “People aren’t that stupid.” In the end, Meat Loaf lost the bet, proving that the mystery of the lyric had stumped many listeners.

2. A Passionate Softball Coach

Meat Loaf’s love for baseball extended to his role as a softball coach, where he took his duties very seriously. In a 1991 Connecticut JV team, which included his daughter Pearl Aday, Meat Loaf was known for keeping his sports and music lives separate. He avoided autograph seekers and never sang to the girls—except for one memorable occasion.

After their first win, Meat Loaf broke his usual routine and belted out, “I Will Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” on the team bus. The girls hadn’t heard the song yet, and the public wouldn’t for nearly two more years.

3. The Many Origins of His Stage Name

Meat Loaf had a playful approach to the story behind his stage name. Born Marvin Lee Aday, he later changed it to Michael Lee Aday, but the origin of his “Meat Loaf” nickname remains murky. He spun various tales about how he got the name, delighting in confusing fans and interviewers alike.

One story suggests his father nicknamed him “Meat” because he “looked like nine and a half pounds of ground chuck.” Another tale has his classmates giving him the name due to his size and initials. There’s also a version involving his football coach, who supposedly called him “Meat Loaf” after an injury, and a final story where someone dubbed him “dumb as a hunk of meat loaf” after a Volkswagen incident. The true origin remains a mystery.

4. A Near Clash with Prince Andrew

Before Prince Andrew’s name was entangled in scandal, he nearly found himself on the wrong end of a Meat Loaf altercation. In the late ’80s, Meat Loaf appeared on It’s a Royal Knockout, a charity game show featuring the royal family. As Meat Loaf recounted to The Guardian, tensions flared when Prince Andrew’s wife, Sarah Ferguson, showed interest in the singer.

Meat Loaf recalled, “Fergie wasn’t exactly flirting with me, but she was paying attention to me, and I think Andrew got a little jealous.” The situation escalated when Andrew attempted to push Meat Loaf into a moat. “I said, ‘Well you try to push me in the moat, Jack, I don’t give a shit who you are, you’re goin’ in the moat,’” Meat Loaf said.

https://twitter.com/bajankris/status/1484809571617153024

5. An Unexpected Ride with Charles Manson

In the late ’60s, Meat Loaf had an unusual encounter while driving down Sunset Boulevard. He picked up a hitchhiker who turned out to be Charles Manson. Manson had promised to introduce Meat Loaf to Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, but “there was no Beach Boy there, although it actually was Dennis Wilson’s house,” Meat Loaf later recalled. During the ride, Manson spoke about the impending end of the world.

It wasn’t until the Tate-LaBianca murders that Meat Loaf realized the true identity of his passenger. “I didn’t know who he was until I saw his face on television,” Meat Loaf said, reflecting on the eerie encounter.

6. A Deadly Encounter with His Father

Meat Loaf’s father, Orvis Aday, was a former cop and a heavy alcoholic prone to extended binges. After the death of Meat’s mother, Wilma, from cancer in 1966, Orvis’s behavior became even more erratic. In a drunken rage, he tried to stab Meat, an attack that forced the teenager to leave home for good.

“I rolled off the bed just as he put that knife right in the mattress,” Meat Loaf recounted to Rolling Stone. In the struggle, he broke three ribs and Orvis’s nose. Meat left the house barefoot, wearing only gym shorts and a T-shirt, marking a dramatic end to his time at home.

7. Close to the JFK Assassination

Meat Loaf’s stories about his proximity to President Kennedy’s assassination vary. He claimed to have been at the airport when JFK arrived in Dallas, and another account says the Secret Service took over his car after the shooting. He also described arriving at the hospital where he saw Jacqueline Kennedy in a blood-soaked dress.

Later, Meat Loaf suggested his father had insights into the shooting that differed from the official narrative. “It definitely wasn’t Lee Harvey Oswald — and that’s not my theory, I just know things,” he said. “But I can’t say anymore. I’ve been threatened, so I’ve got to keep very quiet.” Although he didn’t witness the assassination, Meat Loaf insisted he was at the hospital when JFK arrived.

8. Surviving Unbelievable Injuries and Accidents

Meat Loaf’s stories of surviving bizarre injuries are hard to verify, but he has claimed some dramatic incidents. He says he fell three stories from a building, experienced an emergency plane landing, and suffered 18 concussions. One concussion allegedly occurred when he was struck in the head by a shot put from 60 feet away.

He also recounted to Conan O’Brien a wild tale of getting his head stuck in a steering wheel after a car crash involving a woman with a notably large bust. Whether or not all these incidents are true, Meat Loaf’s stories paint a picture of a life filled with extraordinary accidents and injuries.

9. A Unique Proposal with a Salmon

A year after the release of Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf was recording at Bearsville Studios in upstate New York, where he fell for the studio’s secretary, Leslie Edmonds. Todd Rundgren, the producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, recalled, “We were in the Bear Cafe and he had a package that he had brought up from New York and presented it to her, and it was a giant whole salmon. It was as if a bear had proposed to his mate. Instead of a ring, a salmon.”

Rundgren also noted that Meat Loaf and Leslie were married a month later by an elderly priest who struggled to tell them apart during the ceremony at the producer’s house. Meat and Leslie remained married until 2001.

10. An Unlikely Collection of Rubber Ducks

Unlike many rock stars who collect fancy cars or rare memorabilia, Meat Loaf had a unique passion for rubber ducks. In a 2016 interview with Mojo magazine, he revealed, “My most treasured possession is my collection of rubber ducks.” He proudly shared that he owned around 100 of them, many of which were given to him by fans at his shows.

“These ducks sit on the top of my road case in the dressing room every show,” Meat Loaf added, highlighting how important this quirky collection was to him.