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Jill

Mystery piano man

David Pescovitz at 10:01 am Mon, May 16, 2005

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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:
 Media Images 41150000 Jpg  41150375 Pianoman203300  Media Images 41150000 Jpg  41150373 Piano203
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.
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David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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