The Lessons Meat Loaf Taught His Daughters

Fans are still mourning the loss of the rock ballad icon Meat Loaf (real name Michael Aday). The ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ creator passed away last week after a brief battle with COVID.

We’ve heard many stories about what an awesome guy Loaf was (including him threatening alleged creep Prince Andrew), but his family is speaking out now about what a kind and thoughtful husband and father he was.

His Wife Expresses Her Grief And Gratitude

Speaking on their final moments together, Deborah Aday, the singer’s wife, felt “gut-wrenching grief.”

“I was lying close to Michael when he took his last breath and my sadness is beyond words. I’ve always called him by his given name because I didn’t see him as ‘Meat.’ I feel much gratitude for the outpouring of love I have received from around the world.”

Aday went on to say what a gentle and loving husband Meat Loaf was, making sure to hug her and show her affection every day. 

He had two daughters, Amanda and Pearl, from his first wife Leslie Edmonds who he was married to from 1979 to 2001. According to Amanda, he was a typical dad outside of his public persona. She said: 

“If we didn’t get good grades, we were grounded, and all of that stuff. So, it was very much, when we weren’t out on tour living this crazy life, it was very important to him that we were grounded in our home.”

Amanda also released a glowing statement eulogizing her late father. Aday was a gentle but firm father at home who didn’t want his kids chasing the rock-n-roll lifestyle. 

“Pearl and I would want a new pair of shoes or something, whatever was in trend, fashion-wise or whatever, and he’d always say, ‘Don’t be trendy. Don’t be hip. Be cool, because cool is always.’ And that was him.”

Meat Loaf As a Softball Coach

A favorite story of a rockstar being a typical dad is where Meat Loaf coached a local softball team. He drove a red sports car to practice, and his players called him “Coach Meat.”

Coach Meat took over a JV team. While filming three movies and recording an album, he worked hard to motivate his team to success. 

He also went after journalists who tried to invade his practice, including making one writer sit quietly on the sidelines for hours. 

Players spoke glowingly of their time under Coach Meat’s tutelage. His passion and dedication made the girls feel “like rock stars.” 

A Note On People Gloating About Meat Loaf’s Death

I won’t link to it, but there are a few people online who are seemingly celebrating the singer’s death from COVID. Their thinking was that he was vocally against vaccine mandates, so clearly, he was unvaccinated and therefore deserved death.

Would any of these people say that to his widow’s face? Probably not. Keyboards make heroes out of the biggest cowards.

There’s something sick about those who delight in the deaths of others merely for perceived life choices. Would these same people celebrate the death of someone with HIV because they didn’t take proper care not to acquire AIDS? Of course, they wouldn’t. But because COVID has become so political, death on the other team is a victory. 

It is sick and an indictment of where we are as a society. 

Share your favorite memories of Meat Loaf in the comment section below.