Once he joined the JWs he was literally a different person. Pretty much shunned me and all of his friends. Dropped out as a sophomore.
In retrospect, I realize he was searching for something. But he ended up thinking everything he did before was "evil". Gave up his beloved music, beer, etc.
I went to couple of Kingdom Hall meetings with him. Nice people, but sorry, quite strange.
They have "Communion" where they pass around cermonial bread and wine. The only people "allowed" to take it are members of the 144,000 elect. So nobody in the Hall partook. He told me that if someone tries to take Communion they often times are physically stopped, because taking the bread and wine is a grave sin if you are NOT one of the elect.
He also told me that Jesus was not THE son of God, however A son of God, an archangel. Gabriel? Who was re-incarnated.
I had many discussions with him after that. He broke off all contact with me soon thereafter.
I find that to be one of the saddest aspects of the cult mentality.
In the name of control, people are convinced to give up the very things in life that make perhaps the greatest arguments for God of all — great music, great art, great food, and great beer. The beautiful things which God gave us to open our eyes to the power of His grace in the world are renounced as evil, things to be cast aside. Our world is corrupted by sin and that sin is manifestly ugly but insofar as the world has beauty and goodness it has it as a reflection of that grace which God chooses to bestow upon it.
I’m sorry for your loss... a friend who introduced you to jazz and Bass (one has to love English ales... I’m quite fond of Samuel Smith myself) was a dear friend indeed.