Rock star Meat Loaf actually faced multiple brushes with death before he died last year. From near crashes on a plane to being hit in the head, Meat Loaf managed to escape death for decades before his passing in January 2022.

The music legend referred to himself as a “cat with 48 lives”, because of his ‘near misses’ when it came to fate. He felt he “should have died” multiple times, but somehow managed to come through the other side. We take a look at the celebrity hitmaker’s brush with death before Meat Loaf tragically passed when his health took a turn for the worst.

Meat Loaf escaped death – he was like a ‘cat’

He told The Telegraph he was a “cat with 48 lives”, because he survived falling “three stories” and crashes.

In 2013, he detailed some of the wild stories to Ultimate Classic Rock. He explained, throughout his life, he suffered 18 concussions and eight car crashes. But that didn’t stop him. Meat Loaf even explained he had close calls while flying on planes, although, didn’t go into further detail on what happened during those times.

When in high school, he says a shot put champion fired a 12-pound shot which ended up colliding with his head. He claimed it flew 62 feet in the air before denting his cranium.

But he joked that it “didn’t even knock me out” and believes it improved his voice. He told Rolling Stone a few years later that he felt the skull bash instantly made him the singer we all knew and loved. Apparently, he couldn’t “carry a tune” but then had a “three-and-a-half octave vocal range” after the accident.

In the 1970s, he shattered his leg after jumping off the stage. As a fan of theatrical performances, it would inevitably put a strain on his health.

10 years ago, the star had heart surgery after collapsing during a concert. But it wasn’t the first time. Suffering from asthma, he fell during another gig in 2016 which was reported to be due to dehydration. However, later that year, Meat Loaf said he had emergency surgery on his back. Telling the Press Association, he needed a “spinal fusion” because of a cyst that pinched the nerves.

He also collapsed during performances in 2011 in Pittsburgh and 2003 as well, in London.

Then in 2019, three years before Meat Loaf’s death, he tripped and fell during a Q&A session. The fall caused his collarbone to break. He was in hospital for 42 days, after his neck and shoulder were also injured.

Meat Loaf’s health condition

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After collapsing during his 2003 show in London, the star was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.

He told Rolling Stone: “Many people are born with this condition and can live their whole lives without ever knowing it is there.

“Mine appeared to have been quiet until now. The prognosis is excellent, as the procedure’s success rate is over 95 percent.”

The syndrome affects the movement of electrical signals through the heart. It can lead to a fast heartbeat and other arrhythmia.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome is present at birth, but symptoms may not arise until people are much older. Doctors are still unsure why the extra electrical connection takes place, and its cause is unknown. However, with treatment, those diagnosed are expected to live a full and normal life.

‘It put me back to zero’

Meat Loaf was on the mend before his death. Despite the ailments and falls he suffered, he was working back to his old self.

However, when Covid struck, it ‘put him back to zero’.

At the time, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “I had eight shows booked in the U.K., and I felt really strong about being able to do them.

“COVID hit. I lost my PT, and all this strength in my back muscles just left, and I was worse off than before.”

“I was in the gym for 2½ hours on days off, and these guys would walk in, they were fit-looking, I could beat them on any machine they wanted, but that wasn’t the goal. The goal was just to stay fit and be able to do my show,” he said.

“My whole life was spent in football and then in shows and gyms, and when you’ve done something and then stop it, you deteriorate that much faster.”

Besides the health difficulties, he also struggled with mental health. The star, who featured in Hollywood films like Fight Club, turned to alcohol. He said he struggled with drink for almost a year during an emotional breakdown.

But Meat Loaf also found it hard to deal with fame. He stepped away from the spotlight a year after his breakout album, released in 1977. Bat Out Of Hell skyrocketed his success, but he “didn’t want the responsibility” after trying to come to terms with fame.

Meat Loaf’s death rocked fans

Meat Loaf’s death shocked fans across the globe. The star passed away on January 20, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 74. Real name Michael Lee Aday, he became one of the bestselling musicians of all time. He also was an actor, starring in beloved movies like Rocky Horror Picture Show. He had a whopping 50 credits to his name.

TMZ reported at the time that the star fell “seriously ill” with Covid. His representatives and family never confirmed nor denied the reports after he passed away.

On the first anniversary of his death this year, Meat Loaf’s daughters paid tribute to the star.

Pearl and Amanda Aday, wrote on Instagram: “Today marks one year since we had to say goodbye to our dad for the final time.

“To honor Dad and you, his global community of friends and fans, we want to share with you a short film we put together with our great friend and brilliant filmmaker, Jack Bennett.”

They added: “This is a celebration of Dad’s life and legacy, an acknowledgment of the man he was on and off the stage. Not just the performer, but the boss, the mentor, the friend, the husband, the godfather, the grandpa ‘Papa Meat,’ and the father.”

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