I spent a couple of days (and dinners) with Michael Jackson when Coopers brought him out to do some stuff and attend the AIBA about ten years ago. He was a nice bloke if not slightly seemingly sozzled all the time. I gave him a sample of a brew that I had done - poor man - it was a malt extract lambic!! In truth it was probably really awful but he sampled it with complete sincerity and professionalism and gave me a critic that made me feel like brewing more beer and one day getting it right. He was generous, passionate and interested. We spoke also about his TV series the Beer Hunter and how whilst it was very succesful the BBC wouldnt comission another series - bloody TV networks!!
A friend from the Sebel Brewing institute sent me the below.
RIP MJ - I will be raising a full glass to you and lowering an empty one.
From Julie Bradford at All About Beer:
We learned this morning that Michael Jackson died last night at his
home in London. We're feeling stunned, and know his many friends will,
too. We are both devestated and saddened since he was a friend, a
mentor and one of our favorite writers. We talked with his staff and
his death appears to have been peaceful. You may also know of the
extent of his illness which he had begun discussing publicly in the past
several months. Ironically, we were just editing his most recent column
for All About Beer, which, poignantly, concerned his having "cheated
Mort Subite" this year.
We are preparing a memorial for Michael on our website, to be
echoed in the pages of the magazine that is in production. In a few
hours we will publish his final column, along with his first column from
1984, on our website and open a memorial page where his friends can
share their thoughts and stories. We will capture some some of these
memories in print.
We're sure we speak for all of you when we say our community has
lost a good friend and champion. He gave beer a language and taught so
many of us to speak it.
I had never even heard of him.
