Meet ‘rock star’ Kodi Lee

Sep 22, 2019 Countryman, News

By Dennis Nichols

Every now and then, I have the urge to feature someone who may be to us here in Guyana, a virtual unknown as far as fame and recognition go. Today, it is a young man I would off-handedly describe as one ‘statistical individual’ among the seven billion or so on this planet, but one who has quickly made an inerasable impression on me and, it appears, on thousands, if not millions, of others.

Kodi Lee on America’s Got Talent

This is particularly true for those of us who understand what the words ‘different’ and ‘unique’ mean in terms of the human personality and spirit. Meet Kodi Lee.
I got to know 22-year-old Kodi via the internet, on a YouTube video browse a few months ago. It was his first audition on Season 14 of America’s Got Talent, and my interest was initially piqued by his appearance and mannerisms. For an adult male, he is relatively short, walks with a cane, shakes his head repetitively, and looks straight ahead out of strangely-unfocused eyes. That’s because he is blind and autistic. But he is also a prodigy (or prodigious) musical savant, purportedly one of only about 25 in the world.
However, it is his voice that forces its idiosyncratic character on you. His speech is hesitant; halting, and most of his short sentences end with a drawn-out, high-pitched inflection. He introduces himself to the AGT judges as “Kodi Leeeee … 22 years ooold … and I’m gonna sing a song for you, on the pianooo”. He is accompanied by his mother who, after explaining his condition, leads him to the instrument amidst cries of ‘Go Kodi’ from relatives and well-wishers. He sits down and, after some hesitation, begins to stroke the ivories. Then he starts to sing.
What follows is a masterful, pitch-perfect, nuanced rendition of Leon Russel’s ‘A Song for You.’ It ends with a standing ovation from the audience and judges, and with almost childlike glee, Kodi applauds; whether for himself, his instant adoring fans, or both, is anyone’s guess. But there’s no guesswork as AGT Judge Gabrielle Union rings down on the golden buzzer sending him straight through to the quarter-finals of the competition, thereby increasing his chances of winning the $1,000,000 grand prize.
Last Wednesday, he did just that, with another soulful rendition – this time it was Freya Ridings’ ‘Lost without You.’ Although I’m no authority on music or vocal quality, I do have an ear for both, and what I heard and saw a few nights ago was near perfect delivery, control, and voice modulation, packaged in a song tailor-made for the singer. I didn’t get to hear his competition but in my opinion the judges would have been hard-pressed not to hand Kodi the winner’s cheque.
Kodi Lee was born almost 23 years ago in Lake Elsinore, California. His biography reveals that he was born with a condition diagnosed later as optic nerve hypoplasia which forced him to undergo life-saving surgery when just a few days old. The malady led to him being declared legally blind at the age of four, and was followed by another diagnosis, this time of autism, the developmental disability that has been striking children with increasing frequency around the globe.
As if to compensate for these setbacks however, the youngster began displaying what has been called ‘an audio photographic memory’ meaning that he can recall the music and lyrics of a particular piece after hearing it just once. He is now being sketched as having a ’library of songs’ in his mind.
I’ve had a bit of experience with autistic children, and have some idea of how difficult it is for them to get along with others, and often themselves, in a world filled with us ordinary, mundane folks. Most of them tend to have behavioural and socializing deficiencies, and difficulty in speech and language comprehension, accompanied in many instances by strange body movements and facial expressions.
(In 2011 in the United States, I briefly interacted with a 12-year-old boy who sobbed erratically for nearly an hour because he failed to win a race he thought he would have won. Another would mechanically rock his head back and forth for hours on end.) However, a few of them have mammoth, almost other-worldly, talents, especially in math, music, and feats of memory. The late Kim Peek, of ‘Rain Man’ fame, had maybe the most prodigious memory of anyone who ever lived, while Derek Paravicini, another musical prodigy, has mind-boggling piano skills, but needs round-the-clock care.
Kodi Lee seems to have less challenges in the social interaction department than many autistic savants. He is personable, charming; even charismatic, as AGT discovered. In fact, most of the recognizably-negative behaviours of autistic savants are downplayed in him, so that his connection with those around him is one of easy camaraderie and warmth, as evidenced by his audiences’ and his own reactions to his performances. Some of it may be due to his earlier exposure to singing and piano-playing not only in the US but around the world.
Before his AGT fame, Kodi played and sang at a number of venues in California and other states, including at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. His repertoire ranges from the classics of Bach and Chopin to pop and jazz. He revealed that he has had a dream of becoming a rock star – a multi-faceted one at that since, in addition to his more obvious talents, he plays at least five other musical instruments, and has recently added tap dancing to his musical stock. Marry these to the soulful passion of his performances and you have not only a rock star, but a star that rocks.
His family has been credited with being responsible for helping to shape his ‘determination and indomitable spirit’ and groom his for success despite the odds stacked against him. The strong bond between him and his mother, for example, was evident during the recently-concluded competition.
At this point, I inject an opinion – that any child, no matter how physically, mentally, or emotionally-challenged, as Kodi was, can be incalculably helped and strengthened by the love and support of family. Kodi Lee is an extraordinary young man. He lives in a country where latent talent in the most unlikely-perceived individuals can be nurtured and brought to fruition.
What about this country? As I suggested in previous articles, Guyana undoubtedly has children and young adults whose physical, mental, and emotional challenges can be mitigated by not only medical intervention, but also by familial love and support. Any potential ‘rock stars’ out there?

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