Location: Woodruff, SC
Challenge: Double Leg Amputee
Website: facebook.com/GROOVEMATTERBAND
Leman King, a double leg amputee drummer who lives by the credo, I am. I can. I will.
The youngest of 12 children, Leman was born in Greenville South Carolina in the US. Growing up in a small three bedroom mill house, things were always tight physically, as well as financially.
He had an early interest in music but instruments were a luxury that would only be afforded later in life. Born with Buerger's Disease, an inherited rare blood disorder, King's amputations began at the age of 23 with the loss of a toe. As time passed though, it continued, culminating in 6 surgeries over thirteen years, and both legs lost below the knees. During this time, he picked up various instruments and began teaching himself how to play.
Always one to face trials head on, after his last surgery when he received his prosthetic legs, he began trying to play drums. In the beginning, he was able to play through about half of a three minute song. He continued pushing until he was able to play full one hour sets and, with a couple good friends, formed the band TenGrandLeg.
The band enjoyed relatively small success playing shows around the upstate area of South Carolina. Later on, it would disband, and he played with various musicians to varying levels of success.
In July of 2015, he met bass player Zach Gray as a fill in drummer, and the two began playing together. A short time later, they invited guitarist Cory Jobes, who King had played with on multiple occasions, over for a session. The three hit it off personally, as well as musically, and Groove Matter was born.
Toiling over riffs and lyrics, and picking apart old songs that they had written individually, Groove Matter began putting together a nice catalog of music. Gray, a music major of Furman University, graduated in June of 2016, and they are currently beginning to book shows.
Leman King