Bio
Meat Loaf is an American hard rock musician and actor best known for the Bat Out of Hell album trilogy consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose.
His legendary 1977 album Bat Out of Hell transformed this former high school football player, nightclub bouncer and stage actor into one of the great American rock 'n' roll icons.
That record, with its staggering operatic sound and impassioned vocals, has sold more than 43-million albums worldwide - still one of the biggest-selling records ever.
Meat Loaf's reputation as one of music's greatest artists was underlined by such masterpieces as Dead Ringer (1981), Bad Attitude (1984) and the Bat Out of Hell sequels, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell (1993) and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006).
More than 30 years after he exploded onto the world stage, Meat Loaf returned with a new record, Hang Cool Teddy Bear (a title taken from a line in the classic Russ Meyer trash movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls).
To flesh out his vision, Meat Loaf enlisted a set of elite musicians to play on the album, including guitarists Tim Pierce, Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins (who co-wrote two songs for the album), Paul Crook and Randy Flowers; legendary bass players Chris Chaney and Kasim Sulton; genius keyboardist Jamie Mulhoberac; and rock drummer John Micelli.
Hang Cool Teddy Bear also features a stellar array of big-name guests, including Steve Vai (who appears on Love Is Not Real); former Queen guitarist Brian May (who appears on Song of Madness and Love Is Not Real); American Idol presenter Kara DioGuardi (who co-wrote and sings on If I Can't Have You); and Hollywood star Jack Black, who duets with Meat Loaf on Like a Rose.
But the most surprising guest is Hugh Laurie - the English actor famous for starring in Blackadder and the hit U.S. TV show House. It was while making a guest appearance on the latter that Meat Loaf met Laurie and discovered that he was a classically trained pianist.
He was one of the contestants on The Celebrity Apprentice, in 2011.