Big Men

RIP Meat Loaf, 74, who zoomed to stardom with the 1977 release of Bat Out of Hell. Born in Dallas as Marvin Lee Aday, he played defensive tackle in high school and earned the nickname of M.L., which became Meatloaf when his weight ballooned. He had minor success fronting several bands, and then worked in musical theater, playing roles in the original Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show, and in Hair, both on-and off-Broadway. Along the way he met Jim Steinman, the co-creator of the iconic album, who seems to have done most of the writing. Their big break came when Todd Rundgren agreed to produce the record. He also played guitar, his soaring lead work elevating the songs to great heights. And Meatloaf threw everything he had into the vocals. The disc has sold an estimated 43 million copies globally, the entire trilogy 65 million. In all he released nine albums. He was especially popular in the UK. In 1993 I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That), written by Steinman, hit #1 in both the USA and UK and garnered Meatloaf his only Grammy, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo. Six other of his singles cracked the top 40, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad rising to #11. There are 108 titles under his name at IMDb in the category of Actor. He is a father of two. Well done, sir. Thank you. (Facts also from Wiki) Here’s the cover of his autobio:

RIP comedian and actor Louie Anderson, 68, whose career spanned more than four decades. Born in St. Paul, he was the tenth of eleven children. He was nominated for three prime time Emmys for his role as a mom in Baskets, winning in 2016 (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series). He also won two daytime Emmys for his work in the animated Life with Louie. There are 42 titles under name at IMDb in the category of Actor, 22 in Writer. He appeared in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and Coming to America (1988). He was a frequent guest on talk shows, the hosts loving his standup work. He hosted Family Feud for three years. He wrote four books. Well done, sir. Thank you.

Headline and sub-headline from nypost.com: “Red-y to help: Openly right-wing movers ferry Northeast exiles to Florida.” “Blue Line Moving, owned by openly conservative Army veteran John Rourke, is experiencing explosive growth after Fox News appearances and shout-outs from the Trumps.”

Great line today from the column of NY Post sports media critic Phil Mushnick: “Three NFL players were arrested last week. That’s a lot for Roger Goodell to ignore, while NFL helmets and end zones continue to tell viewers that they’re the ones who need to improve their evil social ways.”

I passed on the book shop today. It was too cold to sit in the car. I wasn’t about to keep the engine running for two hours. After yesterday’s abbreviated, limited session and none today, I should be well rested for tomorrow when the temperature is supposed to approach 30.

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