Fans who packed the street outside Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre last May for a preview of Bat Out of Hell The Musical may be some of the last to see Meat Loaf sing live.
The rock icon briefly joined cast members of the musical for a bit of “Dead Ringer for Love” during the special event, which was streamed on Facebook.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Meat Loaf said health issues may keep him off stage forever.
"I haven't been able to sing in a year,” the 70-year-old said. “You use everything to sing, and I just cannot do it.”
MORE: Jim Steinman On How Bat Out Of Hell The Musical Got Its Wings
Rolling Stone reported that Meat Loaf needs his wife’s help to get into bed and he uses a walker to get around his home.
On his last tour, in 2016, the singer collapsed onstage during a concert in Edmonton. At the time he blamed dehydration but in the new interview, he said pain was shooting down his back “like a sword.”
Meat Loaf – currently starring in the made-in-B.C. series Ghost Wars – said he doesn’t know if he’ll ever record or tour again.
“My back is driving me crazy,” he said. “But then I'm probably a little crazy anyway."
Watch Meat Loaf join Bat Out of Hell The Musical cast members in Toronto (at around the 12:00 mark):