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Vinnie & the Stardusters met at the Nicollet Child Guidance Center when undergoing treatment for various debilitating mental illnesses.
John's schizophrenia combined with Tourette's Syndrome sometimes leads to shocking profanity and then what he describes as a 'moral hangover.' Through years of treatment, John has been able to transform his expletives into music.
Nick's mantra is 'I'm not drunk, I have cerebral palsy' since this prenatal birth defect often causes him to flail his arms and legs uncontrollably, especially when listening to the rhumba. Happily, he turned out to be a natural drummer, and the hospital staff is pleasantly surprised that playing drums interrupts his incessant playing with himself.
Eric is what is popularly called an 'idiot savant,' giving him the memory of a Cray computer but the intelligence of a 3 year old. While thought to be a child prodigy since he could instantly transpose an entire orchestra score to guitar, his parents soon feared the worst when they caught him memorizing MTC bus schedules. Eric can remember the most minute details of the band's history and has chronicled them im an often-disturbing comic book. Sadly, he can hardly feed himself. |
