Leslie Lemke
Encyclopedia
Leslie Lemke 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, he was diagnosed with glaucoma
, cerebral palsy
, and brain damage. Doctors were forced to remove his eyes. His birth mother gave him up for adoption
, and May Lemke, a nurse, 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, he made no sounds or movements and showed no emotions. He was 12 before he first learned to stand, and he was 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. By 1980, Leslie was regularly giving concerts in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
. His newfound 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
broadcast The Woman Who Willed a Miracle
, a drama about Leslie and his adoptive mother. It stars Cloris Leachman
as May Lemke. Leslie is also the subject of Fred Small
's song, "Leslie is Different."
Leslie toured the United States, Scandinavia
, and Japan
and gave free concerts on various occasions. He was quite animated when he played.
May Lemke developed Alzheimer's disease
and died on November 6, 1993.
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
autistic savant who is most notable for his work as a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Leslie Lemke was born prematurely in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in 1952. At birth, he was diagnosed with glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
, cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, and brain damage. Doctors were forced to remove his eyes. His birth mother gave him up for adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
, and May Lemke, a nurse, 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, he made no sounds or movements and showed no emotions. He was 12 before he first learned to stand, and he was 15 before he learned to walk.
When he was 16, May found Leslie playing Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
'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
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
to classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
His adoptive mother encouraged his talent for the piano. By 1980, Leslie was regularly giving concerts in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
. His newfound fame gained him invitations to various television shows such as CBC's
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Man Alive (hosted by Roy Bonisteel
Roy Bonisteel
Roy Bonisteel, CM is a Canadian journalist and the former host of the CBC Television program Man Alive....
), CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Evening News, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, and That's Incredible!
That's Incredible!
That's Incredible! was an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984.-Synopsis:In the tradition of You Asked For It, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and Real People, the show featured people performing stunts and reenactments of allegedly paranormal events...
. In 1983, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
broadcast The Woman Who Willed a Miracle
The Woman Who Willed a Miracle
The Woman Who Willed a Miracle , is an ABC Afterschool Special starring Cloris Leachman, M. Emmet Walsh, Leif Green and Rosemary Murphy....
, a drama about Leslie and his adoptive mother. It stars Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
as May Lemke. Leslie is also the subject of Fred Small
Fred Small
Frederick Emerson Small , known publicly as Fred Small, is an American singer-songwriter. He is also a lawyer and a Unitarian Universalist minister. His songs often make a political or ethical statement. Among his best-known songs are "Heart of the Appaloosa," "Everything Possible," "Peace Is",...
's song, "Leslie is Different."
Leslie toured the United States, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and gave free concerts on various occasions. He was quite animated when he played.
May Lemke developed Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and died on November 6, 1993.
Further information
- Bonisteel, RoyRoy BonisteelRoy Bonisteel, CM is a Canadian journalist and the former host of the CBC Television program Man Alive....
. All Things Considered, page 25, Doubleday Canada Limited, 1997. ISBN 0-385-25599-3 - Monty, Shirlee. May's Boy: An Incredible Story of Love, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983. ISBN 978-0840757845
External links
- Leslie Lemke profile from the Wisconsin Medical Society