Meat Loaf tribute act vows to keep singer's music going

Steve Steinman met Meat Loaf on a couple of occasions

A Meat Loaf impersonator has paid tribute to the singer after his death at the age of 74.

Steve Steinman first appeared as the Bat Out of Hell singer on the ITV show Stars in Their Eyes 30 years ago.

He has since made a career out of performing Meat Loaf songs, taking his show on nationwide tours and meeting the man himself.

Mr Steinman, from Nottinghamshire, said it was a "sad day".

The Dallas-born singer was best known for his Bat Out Of Hell trilogy, which sold millions of albums worldwide.

Music icons including Cher, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Brian May have all paid tribute, with the latter describing him as "always full of madness, with the innocent sense of naughtiness of a 5-year old".

Mr Steinman, who met him on a number of occasions, said: "He was very nice. Crackers, but we are all a bit crackers in showbiz.

"He was bigger than life. I think he played a part, like he was acting on and off stage.

"You never knew what you were going to get.

"The first time I met him I was in the dressing room getting make up done (for a TV show) and I walked down the corridor (in full Meat Loaf costume) to where he was getting his done.

"He did a double take and looked at me like 'who the hell are you?'.

"I had a photo with him after the show, he was a lovely bloke."

Mr Steinman, who is based in South Muskham, does not attempt to copy Meat Loaf's look but he performs tribute shows featuring his music 100 days a year.

"He and Jim Steinman [his long-time collaborator] were like thunder and lightning when they came together," he said.

"I'm going to keep his music going. The songs are just too good to disappear just because the legends who sang and wrote them have died.

"I think they will go on forever."