Wednesday, September 27: Tig’s Rock Birthdays

Happy Birthday today (Sept. 27) to Meat Loaf. The rocker is 70. Also celebrating is guitarist Randy Bachman (The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive) who turns 74.

Meat Loaf is known for his powerful, theatrical live performances over the course of his 40 year career.

Meat Loaf released one of the greatest rock albums of all time in 1977 with Bat Out of Hell. The classic album has sold over 43 million copies worldwide making it one of the best selling albums in the history of recorded music. The Bat Out of Hell trilogy includes Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell 3: The Monster is Loose. A new studio album called Braver Than We Are (his thirteenth studio album) was released last year.

For me, Meat Loaf's music has always held a special place in my heart. From a little child going through my dad's record collection and discovering the Bat Out of Hell record with totally cool looking motorcycle on the cover. I would soon listen to the album and realize what a masterpiece it was from beginning to end. Fast forward many years later to 1993 and I'm in high school. I was probably the only sophomore at Dover Jr/Sr High School that was excited about a new Meat Loaf record coming out. This would mean that he was mounting a comeback, which would also mean that a world tour would follow and that I'd be able to finally get to see the man live in concert. I would be a first day record buyer, buying Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell at the Book and Record store at the Putnam Plaza in Carmel, NY. The album would become a huge commercial success hitting number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart that year, and eventually going on to sell over 14 million copies worldwide. The single "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" would reach number 1 in 28 countries and would earn Meat Loaf a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance in 1994. I would also get to finally see Meat Loaf in 1994 on Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell Tour at Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT. It will always be one of my favorite concerts that I had the chance to attend. Meat Loaf sounded awesome as did his band. Cheers to Meat Loaf today on his 70th! Thanks for the music.

For more on Meat Loaf, check out his official website here.