This past weekend at a quaint fruit bread festival in Ercheu, France, a very special guest was in attendance: Michel Grobon. While his name might not be familiar to many, this French chef has one unforgettable claim to fame, he cooked for some of the biggest stars in the world, including none other than Michael Jackson.
Now 84 years old, Grobon reminisced about his extraordinary career, much of which was spent in the U.S. during the 1970s and 80s. The native of Haute-Savoie and now living in Burgundy, Grobon made his mark in America’s celebrity circles, serving up fine French cuisine to legends like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali… and yes, the King of Pop himself.
“Michael Jackson was there — they were playing piano and guitar, and then they asked me if I could cook something for them at around 3 or 4 in the morning,” Grobon recalls. “They were always so respectful.”
This particular memory comes from a private celebration for Elizabeth Taylor’s 70th birthday, where stars gathered for an intimate night of music, laughter, and of course, amazing food. Michael, along with close friends like Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder, asked Grobon to whip something up in the middle of the night — a request the chef was more than happy to fulfill.
Grobon’s path to Jackson was paved by none other than Frank Sinatra, one of his longtime regulars when he worked at Maxim’s in Chicago. Sinatra helped connect Grobon with key figures in politics and entertainment, eventually landing him the role of personal chef for President Ronald Reagan.
“Meeting those kinds of people was extraordinary. Once they trust you, they’ll do anything for you — because you make their lives easier.”
From the White House to Neverland, Grobon’s culinary skills were sought after by the elite. But it was the quiet moments — like a 4AM kitchen session with Michael Jackson — that truly stuck with him.
Over his career, Michel Grobon also opened nearly 300 restaurants worldwide, but it’s clear that his time with Jackson and the stars of that era left a lasting impression.
For MJ fans, it’s a beautiful glimpse into the warm, down-to-earth side of Michael — a superstar who loved good music, good company… and good food, even if it was served at dawn.
