Meat Loaf, American singer whose bombastic rock opera “Bat Out of Hell” is one of the best-selling albums of all time, has died at age 74, according to a statement put out on his official Facebook page. Meat Loaf’s agent confirmed his death to CNN. No cause of death was shared. The singer, whose real name is Marvin Lee Aday, was born in Dallas.Meat Loaf’s two biggest albums — 1977’s “Bat Out of Hell” and the 1993 follow-up “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell” — produced numerous hit singles, including “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”He also won a Grammy in 1993 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song “I’d Do Anything for Love.”

Meat Loaf also appeared in several television shows and films, including the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Fight Club” and “Wayne’s World.” The singer acknowledged physical problems had affected his ability to perform. But in November, he posted on Facebook that he’d had four back surgeries and would be back in the studio in the new year. his early career started in Los Angeles, when he formed his first band, Meat Loaf Soul, after a nickname coined by his football coach because of his weight. Some local success led him to be asked to joine the Los Angeles production of the musical Hair. He recorded an album with Shaun “Stoney” Murphy, titled Stoney & Meatloaf in 1971.

In late 1973, Meat Loaf was cast in the original L.A. Roxy cast of The Rocky Horror Show, playing the parts of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. In 1976, Meat Loaf recorded lead vocals for Ted Nugent’s album Free-for-All when regular Nugent lead vocalist Derek St. Holmes temporarily quit the band. Meat Loaf sang lead on five of the album’s nine tracks. As on the “Stoney & Meatloaf” album, he was credited as Meatloaf (one word) on the “Free-for-All” liner notes. Meat Loaf and Steinman started Bat Out of Hell in 1972, but did not get serious about it until the end of 1974. Meat Loaf decided to leave theater and concentrate exclusively on music. Bat Out of Hell has sold an estimated 43 million copies globally (15 million of those in the United States), making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

In the United Kingdom alone, its 2.1 million sales put it in 38th place. Despite peaking at No. 9 and spending only two weeks in the top ten in 1981, it has now spent 485 weeks on the UK Albums Chart (May 2015), a figure bettered only by Rumours by Fleetwood Mac with 487 weeks. In Australia, it knocked the Bee Gees off the No. 1 spot and became the biggest-selling album of all time in that country. Bat Out of Hell has, as of December 2020, spent a total of 522 weeks in the Top 200 in the UK chart; this makes it the longest stay in any music chart in the world, although the published chart contains just 100 positions. Meat Loaf followed up with a sequel years later — “Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell” – which produced a number 1 hit, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” He won a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

He & Steinmen wrote several more albums before the latter’s death in April of 2021. With his first wife, Meatloaf has a daughter, Amanda Aday, a television actress. His  Pearl, who later married Anthrax rhythm guitarist Scott Ian. In 1998, the family relocated to California. Meat Loaf and Leslie divorced in 2001. He married Deborah Gillespie in 2007. the musician’s wife was by his side and his friends had been with him in his final 24 hours and it is reported on TMZ that the reason for death was Covid.

Judas Priest have walked back their decision to tour as a quartet following outcry from the heavy metal legends’ fans. They have reintroduced Andy Sneap to their touring line-up, just five days after announcing the guitarist would not be joining them on the road. Just last week, the band issued a statement to announce that ahead of their upcoming North American tour they would be returning as “an even more powerful, relentless four-piece heavy metal band”, signalling Andy Sneap’s departure. Sneap, who co-produced the band’s latest album ‘Firepower’, joined Priest’s live set-up after their longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton announced he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. They also thanked Andy for all he has “done and continuing to be in the production team” for the group’s next studio album.

Sneap later released a separate statement, explaining that the band’s decision to remove him was “incredibly disappointing” but that he respected their decision. “This always was a temporary situation, and like I’ve said before, I’ll always help the band any way I can, and that applies going forward also.” Andy also released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he wasn’t involved in PRIEST’s decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Rob Halford-fronted outfit for the “mind-blowing” opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands. Now, making a U-turn five days after the initial announcement, Judas Priest have confirmed they will continue touring as a five-piece with Sneap remaining as touring guitarist and Tipton making appearances when he can.

“Hello metal maniacs…given all that has recently evolved and transpired we have decided unanimously as a band to continue our live shows unchanged with Rob, Ian (Hill, bass), Richie (Faulkner, guitar), Scott (Travis, drums), Andy and Glenn joining us whenever he’s able…so see you all soon as we forge ahead celebrating 50 massive heavy metal years of Judas Priest together!” Priest are due to resume touring on March 4, when they’ll relaunch their US tour in Peoria, Illinois, having been forced off the road In September, after guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection onstage during the band’s set at the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky.

The saxophone is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass, and where the sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece  vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument’s body. The first saxophone was patented by Antoine-Joseph Sax in Paris in 1846.

A saxophone has a conical metal (originally brass) tube with about 24 openings controlled by padded keys; the mouthpiece is similar to that of a clarinet. Two octave key vents allow the instrument to overblow to a higher register at the octave. Except for the sopranino and one form of the B? soprano saxophone, built straight like a clarinet, saxophones have an upturned lower end and a detachable crook, or neck, at the upper end.

Sax left no historical account of his invention, which was intended for both military bands and orchestras and which may have stemmed from experiments with reed mouthpieces on brass instruments. The saxophone was a popular solo instrument in the United States about World War I and was subsequently adopted in dance bands, becoming one of the most important solo instruments in the development of swing and other forms of jazz. Its use in big bands brought changes in mouthpiece design to produce a brighter, more penetrating sound. Modern instruments are also wider in bore than early ones.

It is not widely used as a concert instrument but is quite prominent in jazz, in which it is a principal vehicle for melodic improvisation. Among the greatest jazz saxophonists have been Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane. Candy Dulfer & Kenny G are probably the most famous soloists in the pop world.