(From Brian Peters, 4 Jan 2024)
Today arrived the news we knew was coming: Michelle Holding passed away this morning. Michelle in a relatively short time made an enormous impression on the folk music world, and a huge number of friends within it. She was outstandingly talented as a singer and instrumentalist, and coupled that with highly eclectic tastes that embraced each different style with joy. You only had to witness the quality of the musicians who came from far and wide to celebrate her 41st and last birthday, and who played for hours around her hospice bed during her final days, to know the love and respect in which she was held. Only Michelle would have brought forward her birthday party by a month, on medical advice that she might be too unwell to enjoy it, had a ball at the rearranged party, and then gone ahead anyway with a second party on the original date, determined that she was going to have another ball at that one too – her ‘Festival of Stubborn Gladness’. She didn’t so much rage against the dying of the light as thumb her nose at it and announce that she intended to enjoy every goddam minute anyway. Those who knew her will not need me to describe her monumental courage.
In all of this she was supported immensely by my old pal Bonz, the perfect foil for her musical pyrotechnics and waspish humour. He has been a rock over the last few days, weeks and months.
Life just won’t be the same without her. She lived her life to the max, and was a shining example and inspiration to all of us. Goodbye Michelle.