Music Legend Meat Loaf is known for iconic songs such as Bat Out Of Hell and I’ll Do Anything for Love, but he also had a unique connection to the Spice Girls.
The rock star, who passed away aged 74, played a key role in the Spice Girls film Spice World: The Movie where he played the part of Dennis the bus driver.
During the film he drives the five girls around London while they sing and make TV appearances and meet aliens.
Meat Loaf's role in the film was an in-joke alluding to his 1980 film Roadie, where he played a truck driver with the job of driving musicians across the USA.
However, it seems the Spice Girls opportunity came last minute after boxer Frank Bruno reportedly dropped out just days into filming with stories claiming he left the film due to his son not getting an autograph from the girls.
In a previous interview, The Independent reported that Meat Loaf did an interview for his 1998 album The Very Best of Meat Loaf when he revealed the role started off as a joke.
The singer said he was in a meeting with the head of Virgin Records when Paul Conroy from the company told Meat Loaf that he was busy working on the Spice Girls movie and he started joking that he wanted to be in it.
Meat Loaf said: "I said, 'They’re doing Spice World and you didn’t put me in it?' I was winding him up … He goes, 'Ooh. Well, I’ll probably get you in the film.' And I said, 'Well, I’ll be here all afternoon. I’ll be waiting.'"
Just a few hours later he got the offer but made it clear he wasn't serious about the role.
He added: "I said, ‘Paul, I’m kidding. It’s okay. No, it’s fine. I gotta go to Germany.’ And he says, 'No, no! They really want you to do the film.' I’m going, 'Paul, it’s okay, I don’t need to do the film.' Well, anyway, I end up doing this Spice World for three days and did whatever I did with them."
However, this wasn't the first time he'd bumped into the Spice Girls.
Meat Loaf admitted he'd borrowed £5 from Mel B for a cigar even before he was in the film.
When they bumped into each other on the film set again, Mel B reportedly asked for the money back as a joke but Meat Loaf asked if she had change for a £20 so he never ended up paying her back.
Meat Loaf's loved ones posted a statement on Friday morning to announced he'd died age 74.
The statement said he'd passed away surrounded by his wife Deborah, daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends.
It mentioned the legend has sold more than 100 Million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies.
They signed off with: "From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!"
