George Dennehy is capturing attention all over the world for his unique talents. Born without arms, he plays music from his heart using his feet. George also has a powerful message to share. Because George has overcome so many challenges in his own life, he believes that every individual has a purpose and absolutely anything is possible. People are surprised by his life story, including his early struggle against death in a grim Romanian orphanage and the dire circumstances that led to an urgent plea for a family to quickly consider adopting him. That adoption happened when George was eighteen months old. Today George has twelve siblings - nine of his brothers and sisters are also adopted and they represent six different countries.
George started his musical journey early in life by learning to play the cello at the age of eight. He advanced in classical music until he was able to play cello with regional orchestras. With the cello as his launching pad he has taught himself guitar, electric bass and basic piano. George gained worldwide attention in 2012 after he posted a video of himself playing guitar and covering the Goo Goo Dolls song “Iris". George’s story went viral and he received media coverage from as nearby as his own hometown, and as far away as London and Sydney. Then an astonishing thing happened. The band saw the video themselves and they loved it. They invited George to join them and perform ‘Iris’ to an enthusiastic and excited crowd of 7,000 fans at Musikfest, an annual week-long event held in Bethlehem, PA. Since then, his career has continued to take off.
His testimony of a victorious, overcoming life has inspired thousands of people all over the world. He has released a CD of original music titled 'Have my Heart'. George received a standing ovation for his first TED Talk. George's personal videos about music and overcoming daily challenges have been viewed over five million times. CBS News.com named his "Iris" video one of the “Best of the Year.” George has been on television and radio, performed and spoken at hundreds of live events, and has shared the stage with national acts like Jeremy Camp, Audio Adrenaline, Hillsong United, Colton Dixon, Toby Mac, Jamie Grace, For King and Country and Mercy Me.
Today George travels the world full time and loves sharing his story and his music. He is also a youth pastor and is a designated spokesperson for Holt International, a global organization that helps orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children to thrive.
Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, George shares his amazing story about overcoming insurmountable odds. He discusses his rise to stardom as a guitarist and singer, his faith, his son Landon, and his work being an International Spokesperson for Holt International. His family and fans love his positive attitude, his wonderful heart, and his drive that is contagious. George states, "We cannot control what happens to us in life, but we can choose how we react to it." Here at Different & Able we could not agree more.
Bio provided by: http://www.thatarmlessguy.com/meet-george.html
