Music

Meat Loaf says he can't stand for more than five minutes without collapsing

by Richard Howard

In June, 68-year-old singer Meat Loaf was performing in Edmonton when he suddenly collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital, and fans have been concerned about his health ever since.

At first, the “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” singer attributed the scare to simple dehydration due to the flu. He’s changed his tune of late, however. On the British talk show Loose Women, Meat Loaf explained that the root of his health problems stem from pinched nerve in his back, and it’s gotten so bad that performing is totally out of the question.

“I have a pinched nerve in my back and it feels like when I stand up to walk, that Norman Bates from Psycho is stabbing me in the back, and it hurts like hell,” he said on the show. “Gettin’ old is not for wussies.”

Meat Loaf went onto assure fans he was in good health, even as they wondered if he was suffering from neurological problems (or just drunk on the air) after his slurred speech in recent interviews. And while the pinched nerve explains why he’s needed a cane of late, he had another, odder explanation for his slurred speech:

“I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink. My assistant said don’t talk about this, but I went to doctor the other night and he told me my tongue is swollen and I have no idea why!” he said. “I saw myself on TV and I freaked out. I was like ‘I sound like I’m drunk.'”

These health issue come at a busy time for Meat Loaf: on September 16th he’ll release his new album Braver Than We Are, his first collaboration with “Bat Out of Hell” songwriter Jim Steinman since 1993.