Leslie Lemke

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Leslie Lemke (born 1952) is a blind American autistic savant who is most notable for his work as a musician.

Leslie Lemke was born prematurely in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1952. At birth, Leslie was diagnosed with glaucoma, cerebral palsy, and brain damage. Doctors were also forced to remove his eyes. His birth mother gave him up for adoption; a nurse named May Lemke adopted him when he was six months old. To feed him, May had to push food down his throat. It was a year before Leslie could chew food on his own. It took seven years of constant care before Leslie showed any progress. During this time, Leslie made no sounds or movements and showed no emotions. He was 12 before he first learned to stand, and 15 before he learned to walk.

When he was 16, May found Leslie playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1 during the middle of the night. He had recently heard the piece on television. Leslie was soon playing all styles of music, from ragtime to classical. His adoptive mother encouraged his talent for the piano and by 1980 Leslie was regularly giving concerts in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. His new-found fame gained him invitations to various television shows such as CBC's Man Alive, (hosted by Roy Bonisteel), CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes, and That's Incredible!. In 1983, ABC aired a drama about Leslie and his adoptive mother, called The Woman Who Willed a Miracle[1], starring Cloris Leachman as May.

According to Dustin Hoffman, a program about Lemke inspired him to play a savant in the film Rainman.[2]

Leslie has toured the United States, Scandinavia, and Japan but also gives free concerts on various occasions. He is quite animated when he plays.

May Lemke developed Alzheimer's disease and died on November 6, 1993.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

  • Profile from the Wisconsin Medical Society
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