Former St. Paul Pioneer Press music critic Michael Fleming held strong opinions and wasn't the sort to back down from them.

After publishing his debut review for his first newspaper job in St. Louis, Fleming awoke to find the husband of a singer he'd criticized standing on his doorstep. Words were exchanged. When the husband launched his fist, Fleming shut the door in his face and returned to bed.

"He always provided thoughtful, constructive and supportive feedback," Fleming's husband, Michael Wegs, said. "But some people didn't see it that way." Pioneer Press billboards promoting Fleming's dance and classical music criticism summed up the public sentiment: "Love him or hate him, you don't want to miss him."

Those who loved Fleming, who died at age 71 on May 2 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, say his critiques simply reflected his high standards. "I've met few people who knew as much about music as Michael Fleming did," said friend David Bartlett, who recalled taking in a performance of the London Philharmonic with Fleming, who was seated near Prince Charles and the Queen Mother.

Friend Allan Valgemae described Fleming as incredibly bright and knowledgeable. "That made him often very interesting to listen to — besides the fact that he could make what he was talking about entertaining," he said.

Fleming's mother introduced him to the keyboard, teaching him "Baby Elephant Walk" on a Lowrey Magic Genie organ. He later performed with Baroque ensembles as a harpsichordist and worked as a church organist.

He earned a Ph.D. in musicology from Washington University in St. Louis and his expertise in Baroque music was aided by his knowledge of multiple languages.

Wegs refers to his meeting Fleming in 1977 as "kismet." The two Michaels soon found many commonalities, from their favorite books to shared interests in music and politics. Behind Fleming's sometimes-gruff exterior, Wegs found a gentle, thoughtful soul. "There was no question who I'd spend my life with," he said. In 1979, the two married in their home (fearing retribution, they told the guests not to bring cameras); in 2010, they received a civil marriage license. Wegs' grandmother "Jammy" didn't take much of a liking to Fleming upon their first meeting. But he soon won her over by playing her favorite Lutheran hymns on her electric and pump organs.

Fleming worked for newspapers around the country before his stint with the Pioneer Press, from 1988-2000. Over the years, he interviewed many arts luminaries, including Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Luciano Pavarotti.

He taught counterpoint (musical lines in a composition that are harmonically interdependent) at Washington University and bibliography (the study of musical documents and literature) at the University of Minnesota. He also annotated programs for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and gave preconcert lectures.

In 1996, Fleming earned a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and embarked on a second career as an attorney who focused on wills and trusts. He advocated for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and helped the group with media outreach and strategy.

He retired in 2007 to Cedar Rapids to be near family, a move that involved packing and shipping several thousand LPs, CDs, books, a top-notch turntable, speakers and a harpsichord. Fleming is survived by his husband, who remembers him as kind, tender and sweet to the end. "He was a charming man to such a degree that I'm afraid it's something you cannot recover from, when you know that there won't be another human being like him again," Wegs said. Services have been held.