Blind Autistic Boy Sings Bill Withers Hit With The Tenors

Oct 10, 2020

In a video uploaded this year, New Hampshire resident Christopher Duffley, a boy who is blind and has autism, performed Lean on Me with The Tenors.

Regardless of the musical genres you normally flock towards, you are almost certainly a fan of the classic Lean on Me by soul artist Bill Withers. It is an almost universal sound that imbues anyone who hears it with a feeling of hope, friendship, and inspiration. It isn't merely a song of a generation. Rather, it is a song of a century.

Beyond the powerful melody, the lyrics are wholly about the bond between people. They call for every man, woman, and child to form a cohesive bond of mutual love, trust, and care. With only a short listen you will likely feel inspired to call an important person in your life. That person who always catches you when you fall. For all of these reasons, Lean on Me is a go-to ballad.

Covers can often be a disappointment, however. Even with the best of intentions, a cover of a song often lacks the soul, skill, and passion of the original artist. This becomes doubly true when the song is as pivotal as Lean on Me. However, once you hear the cover we have today, you will realize that a cover can feature all of the love of the original and perhaps even more.

This video features a truly special moment. The lead singer of this cover is Christopher Duffley, a young man who exudes passion and ambition in every performance he participates in. He often finds himself in front of massive and influential audiences and has sung with some of the most significant bands in his genre.

Today's video is no exception, as we find him performing with one of the most famous and popular acapella bands in the modern age, The Tenors.

His confidence and singing skills are not the only unique aspects of Christopher. Achieving his level of fame would be impressive for any young man. However, it becomes even more impressive when you find out that Christopher has autism. Yet, despite this aspect that many people would consider a limitation, he has never let it slow him down.

Christopher Duffley has lent his talent several times to raising money and awareness for autism causes, primarily the Canucks Autism Network of Canada. However, this time he isn't finding himself in the frigid halls of Canada. Rather, he's in Venice.

Duffley is a natural showman and often quips during his acts. He began this performance by saying, "Y'all can put your hands together if you want I guess. Look at these images of Italy." This may not seem like a logical joke until you realize that beyond having autism, Christopher Duffley is completely blind. Despite his lack of sight, he has always quipped, "I can't see, but I have vision!"

This performance with the Tenors is one of the most moving shows you are likely to see. Despite singing along the powerful voices of the Tenors, Duffley holds his own. His voice is shockingly powerful for such a slight frame.

Even Fraser Walters, arguably the lead star of The Tenors, is visibly impressed by the boy's vocal prowess. Even without the so-called setbacks of autism and blindness, Christopher would still be considered one of the most remarkable vocalists of his age.

How does this version compare to Bill Withers' original? Let us know in the comments and pass this video along to your friends and family!