Pitmaster John Mueller passed away Dec 16, 2021

lousubcap

The Q world lost a legend.
https://www.austin360.com/story/entertainment/dining/restaurant-reviews/2021/12/16/john-mueller-bbq-texas-pitmaster-dead-at-52/8933568002/  
Condolences to his family and friends.  Rest in Peace.  

TEXASBGE2018

Saw he was working for Hutchins BBQ. We ate there last Saturday and I can attest that whatever he did to that place improved it immensely. RIP

JohnInCarolina

52, damn.  Condolences to friends and family, indeed.

nolaegghead

He had his demons and left us too soon.

nolaegghead

Let us show respect and eulogize Mueller's untimely passing with a song from my college years....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNjQXmoxiQ8

Forever Young

Alphaville

Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power, but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad man

Can you imagine when this race is won?
Turn our golden the faces into the sun
Praising our leaders, we're getting in tune
The music's played by the, the madman

Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, and ever

Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever young

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don't they stay young?

It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever

So many adventures given up today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams swinging out of the blue
Oh let it come true

Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever
Forever, and ever?

Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever
Forever, and ever?

Forever young
I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever
Forever young

lkapigian

WoW RIP, Peace be with the Mueller Family at This Time 

Botch

nolaegghead said:

He had his demons 

I know nothing of the guy, but the way that article was written, sounds like it.  

nolaegghead

Botch said:

nolaegghead said:

He had his demons 

I know nothing of the guy, but the way that article was written, sounds like it.  

I had read and heard things talking to bbq people in the past.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I met him several times in many of the various iterations of what was all some version of John Mueller BBQ. He was always cutting meat and talking smack to the customers. And if he wasn't, they were randomly closed that day. In the words of the late great littlesteven, he was wound tighter than a banjo string. it was always a high-wire act with him. He would be "joking around" with some people (it was always really dark and tense with lots of weird laughter) while telling someone else taking photos to "put your f*cking phone down a**hole!  do I take pictures of your f*cking kitchen"???? It seemed somewhat performative but you could always tell he was more flying in tight formation than all bolted together. It felt like it could come apart at any time and it often did. It was never boring and the food was always good until you showed up and doors were padlocked (again) with tax notices and collection notices taped up. He would disappear for months or years, often showing up in roadside dives for a few months to make ends meet only to disappear again. But someone was always willing to give him another shot and he always rose like the phoenix...until the doors were padlocked and the notices went back up.

Sad to see him go. Anyone with any awareness-even those who did not read the endless stories in the papers or Texas Monthly, or follow the horrible twitter war between he and his sister LeAnn.- knew he had demons.

LeAnn is the current owner of LABBQ, which was the original John Mueller BBQ. She was the financial partner and he was the operator. Until he allegedly stole everything he could and disappeared.

On another note- When John Mueller skipped town (allegedly) LeAnn Hired John Lewis away from Franklin and changed the name from John Mueller BBQ to LABBQ. John Lewis was the pit-master when Franklin was declared "best in the world" by some magazine which started all of this mess. John worked with LeAnn for a year or so, trained up her crew, and then moved the Charleston and opened John Lewis BBQ which is thriving today. Aaron Franklin worked for John Mueller BBQ as well when he was a barista at a coffee shop and drummer in a punk band.

The Mueller family has deep roots in the Texas bbq scene (and now Charleston too).  Maybe the deepest. The list of people who have worked for the Mueller's and have gone on to do great things of their own is looooong.

Foghorn

For those interested in this topic - this is a good read.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/of-meat-and-men/

lkapigian

Great read @The Cen-Tex Smoker

lousubcap

Thanks @Foghorn.  Great backstory right there.  Almost ten years ago.  

nolaegghead

lkapigian said:

Great read @The Cen-Tex Smoker

I agree, that's why I hit the agree button

nolaegghead

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Foghorn said:

For those interested in this topic - this is a good read.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/of-meat-and-men/

I think that is my 3rd or 4th time through that one. I never get tired of reading it and always gain some new perspective seeing after a few years have passed. I had totally forgotten about it until you posted again. Thanks for posting.

Langner91

Foghorn said:

For those interested in this topic - this is a good read.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/of-meat-and-men/

Great read!  Thank you for posting that!

SGH

Anyone know what he died of? 

Legume

SGH said:

Anyone know what he died of? 

nolaegghead

SGH said:

Anyone know what he died of? 

I'd hate to speculate, but if I was betting money, I'd read up on his history.

SGH

It’s sad no matter what it was. Just curious was it covid related. 

Eggpharmer

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/john-mueller-barbecue-legend-dies-at-52/

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Eggpharmer said:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/john-mueller-barbecue-legend-dies-at-52/

Great read. Thanks for posting. 

nolaegghead

I searched for "how did John Mueller die tx bbq" and there's so much click-bait garbage out there that all has one thing in common, well, two actually.  Tons of ads and no answers.

nolaegghead

SGH said:

Anyone know what he died of? 

Rumor that he was smoking some anus and cut himself shaving.

(started by me, right here, with no credibility)

Sometimes it's just better to NOT know....

SGH

nolaegghead said:

SGH said:

Anyone know what he died of? 

Rumor that he was smoking some anus and cut himself shaving. 

I can’t think off any better way to go. He was already in heaven when he passed. 

Botch

I read he was smoking, and cut himself shaving his anus.  
It was on the intranetz, so it MUST be true.