I woke to the news that Meat Load died. The stupid banter about it being covid related and him being a anti-vaxer was just stupid. Not really worth a response. However, I was never much of a fan. Not sure I ever even listened to a single song of his entirely all the way through. I just remember him as Bob from Fight Club. Anyway, I decided to take a look at his life and career to see if there was anything inspiring.
Wow, What an interesting person. He had clearly two loves. Music and acting. Anyone who has one of the most popular albums of all time AND was on the original cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show has to be something special. From what I read, he had a lot of discouragement and a lot of doors slammed in his face. However, using the 1000 bucks he earned recording an album for Ted Nugent and trading his Mustang in for a Honda Civic, he got together enough to record Bat out of Hell. Then after a long search finally landed a recording contract with some off label private studio called Cleveland Records.
Can you imagine? You sign what seems like some pathetic loser and his friend to a contract and they are a couple of wannabe studio musicians that want to be “metal” and you do not really think anything of it. Then a few years later, you are sitting on a recoding contract with over 40 Million copies sold and your two crazy guys are rock legends in the UK and you have no way of keeping up with the international demand. I would like to say that this guy got lucky, but there was this little other unknown couple of artists that he signed as well by the names of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan not to mention the Jacksons.
Not sure who is more inspiring, Popovich the record executive from some coal mine town in Pennsylvania who moved to Cleveland (of all places) to start a career publishing music or Meat Loaf, the over weight Broadway actor who thought he could hit it big belting out heavy metal ballads.
So with that, I think I will end this blog with a lyric from Mr. Meat Loaf:
Storm the castle
Stem the tide
Rise above yourself
Cry baby cry
Cry cry to heaven
If that doesn’t do it for you
Go ahead and cry like hell
Guy Reams
Interesting that he went to the same Christian college I went to but it was Not at the same time. Lubbock Christian was a Junior college when he was there. He spent one year at the College (now a university).