Music legend Meat Loaf died on Thursday evening with his wife Deborah by his side, long-time agent Michael Greene told the website Deadline.
"We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man", Meat Loaf's family said in a statement. "From his heart to your souls…don't ever stop rocking!"
The rocker, whose real name was Marvin Lee Aday, was born in Dallas in 1947. His career in music took a dramatic twist for the better after he joined the musical "Hair", taking him to Broadway, and in 1973 he joined the original LA cast of "The Rocky Horror Show", playing the part of Eddie, as well as in the iconic 1975 film, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".
In 1977 Meat Loaf solidified his success, releasing "Bat Out of Hell", which became one of the best-selling albums of all time: it has sold 43 million copies globally, with at least 15 million of those in the United States. Several popular albums followed in the decades after, granting him more than 80 million records sold worldwide.
Meat Loaf also pursued an acting career, appearing in dozens of films and TV shows, including "SNL", "Fight Club", "Masters of Horror", "Elementary", "Ghost Hunters", "Ghost Wars", and countless others.