Edmonton — The songwriter and singer Meat Loaf — who was born with a conventional Western name but who prefers his famed moniker — collapsed shortly before 10 p.m. during a set at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium yesterday.
“This was a serious medical emergency,” said first-responder Caitlyn Mahlor. “If you laughed when you read the headline of this story just because the guy’s name is Meat Loaf, then frankly I feel sorry for you.”
Concert promoter Dana Whiton witnessed the incident from just off-stage. “It was terrifying. The man is a genius. And one thing is for sure, it’s not funny,” she said. “It wouldn’t matter if the guy’s name is ‘poop,’ ‘potato salad’ or, as is the case here, Meat Loaf.”
Meat Loaf was born Michael Lee Aday in Dallas, Texas. He gradually slipped into his new name while performing with his band Meat Loaf Soul, which he named after his favourite dish that his mother once cooked for him every Tuesday night.
Pictured is meat loaf: the dish
Dedicated fan William MeatloversPizza, from Nackawic, N.B., has been following the singer throughout his current North American tour. “The man is a celebration of individuality, plain and simple,” he said.
MeatloversPizza, emotional, continued: “He’s inspired me so profoundly; I won’t get into how exactly, but trust me, he’s made all the difference in my life.”
Meat Loaf the performer cemented his place in Rock ’n’ Roll history with his 1977 album Bat out of Hell. Meat loaf the dish, so named because it is minced meat baked into a loaf, exploded onto the culinary scene in 5th century A.D. when it appeared in the Roman cooking encyclopedia Apicus.