May 16, 2005
Mystery piano man
Originally posted by David Pescovitz from Boing Boing, reBlogged by ts
David Pescovitz: A month ago, police in Sheerness, Kent, England, picked up this man wandering the streets soaking wet and wearing a suit. He hasn’t said a word since the police found him but apparently he plays piano beautifully. From the BBC News:Link
The man’s talent came to light after staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he would write his name.
Instead the patient, dubbed The Piano Man, drew very detailed pictures of a grand piano.
The man shocked staff with a performance of classical music after (social worker Michael) Camp showed him the piano in the hospital’s chapel… (The adult mental health manager for the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust) said that the labels had been removed from every item of clothing the man was wearing when he was found on The Broadway in Minster, Sheerness.
The case has drawn comparisons with the 1996 film Shine which depicts the story of acclaimed pianist David Helfgott who suffered a nervous breakdown.
