Kodi Taehyun Lee recently wowed audiences by performing on the fourteenth season of American’s Got Talent. He won the million-dollar prize of first place for his flawless piano and singing performances. This amazing young man has beat all the odds by being the first winner of the grand prize who is legally blind and autistic. He took us as viewers to a new level of disbelief and he stands for all Americans with disabilities to prove that it’s not so much about what you can’t do as it is, what you can do. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Kodi Lee.
1. He has perfect pitch
We learned that Kodi Lee is one of just twenty-five people in the entire world who has a perfect pitch as well as a second unusual talent known as an audio photographic memory. All that he has to do is hear a song just once, and he can recall every note of the piece. This young man is one of the most talented individuals in the world when it comes to musical ability, and the extent of his talents is extremely rare in the world.
2. Kodi is a versatile musician
Kodi Lee can perform a variety of music genres. He can play and sing R&B, Pop, rock and he has also mastered several of the classical works on the piano. These include pieces by Mozart, Bach, and Chopin. In addition to this, Kodi has mastered the playing of six different musical instruments. That’s not all. He is also fond of tap dancing
3. Kodi is a savant
There is a real medical condition that is called Savant Syndrome. Most of us are familiar with Dustin Hoffman’s performance as an autistic man in “Rain Man” and how he had special abilities that most humans simply do not possess. It boggles the mind that some people with autism can perform mind-blowing feats, but they do not communicate nor process thoughts the way that the majority of the population does. Kodi Lee is a musical savant by definition. Even though he is legally blind and he has a diagnosis of autism, his musical abilities far exceed the talents and abilities of some of the most gifted performers that the world has ever known.
4. He found his happy place
Kodi is like anyone else when it comes to having good days and not so good days. It’s all a part of the human experience. Unlike many of the rest of us, he has found his happy place. Whenever he’s singing, playing an instrument or dancing, he is truly happy. Kodi shared that the dance studio at the Temecula Dance Company is his happy place and you can even check on his Instagram for videos of him singing and tap dancing at the same time.
5. He nearly died at birth
Kodi had a rough start in life. When he was first born, he was diagnosed with a severe medical condition that is called optic nerve hypoplasia. This means that the nerves in his eyes were underdeveloped and the condition nearly caused his death at just five days old. He survived the crisis but was left legally blind because of it. He was not diagnosed with autism until he reached the age of five years.
6. Kodi’s getting tons of invitations
Once the world caught wind of Kodi Lee’s magnificent talent, the invitations to come and perform started rolling in. He’s been invited to entertain audiences throughout the United States as well as in other places in the world outside of the country. Lee is no stranger to performing in front of others though. Before he took the stage at AGT, he was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City, which he accepted. He is also a regular at wineries, restaurants and for a host of special music events.
7. Kodi doesn’t really get a million dollars
We were surprised to learn how little the million-dollar grand-prize winners actually get to keep from AGT. They don’t just hand you a million dollars. Instead, you’re given the choice to take a 40-year payout of $25,000 per year, before taxes, and hope that you live the forty years so you can collect it all. The second payment option isn’t such a good deal at all. You can cash out at the present cash value of the annuity that is used to pay the million-dollar prize money, which amounts to approximately $300,000 before taxes are taken out. At the end of the taxation process, you’re lucky to end up with somewhere between $150,000 to $200,000 worth of cash in your pocket.
8. Kodi’s medical condition affects his emotions
We also learned that Kodi has some very unique struggles due to his medical conditions. They affect how his hormones process and this, in turn, affects his emotions. He processes differently. He may spontaneously laugh, but he does not have the ability to let someone know if he is in danger or if he is hurting. This is the main reason why his mom, Tina’s job is around the clock 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Kodi needs to be supervised at all times to make sure that he is safe and healthy.
9. Kodi does get emotional about his AGT experience
Tina Lee shared something very touching about Kodi. When he was given a golden confetti-filled box by AGT, it was something that he treasured. His mom shared that for three days, he carried the box with him everywhere and he ventured that she believes this was one of the happiest times in his life.
10. He’s a Youtube sensation
We also were curious to see if Kodi Lee could be found on Youtube. Of course, we found his amazing performances immediately. He’s actually become quite the Youtube sensation. His Youtube performance has received 4.7 million views so far.
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