Some Help For Coni
Donation protected
During the course of her rich and varied life, Coni Lesem has made the world a better place. She has managed a health and beauty business, worked in home design, and performed vital work as a brain injury therapist. Her constant quest for excellence and personal growth led her to Chestnut Hill College, where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree at the age of fifty-one.
Perhaps Coni’s most impressive accomplishment has been her work as a performing artist. An extraordinary vocalist, Coni was active on the music scene from the 1970’s through the 1990’s. She performed extensively up and down the East Coast, appeared at many of the hotel/casinos in Atlantic City, and led a successful entertainment office in the Washington/Baltimore area. Her many fans even included astronauts! A recording of Coni was carried into space aboard Apollo 12. Coni’s style has been compared to iconic vocalists such as Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. However, she had her own musical identity, one that included impeccable musicianship, beautiful tone production, and deep emotional expression. Musicians who played in her band have referred to her as a complete “natural.” She was a perfectionist who demanded excellence from herself and her musicians, many of whom went on to work with vocalists such as Patti Austin, Bill Withers and Donna Summer. One Lesem band alumnus recently noted, “working with Coni Lesem was like graduate school for accompanists!”
One year ago, Coni was diagnosed with the dreadful disease, amyotrophic laterals sclerosis. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neurone disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles. There is no known cure and the prognosis for those who have it is poor. Coni’s expenses have now exceeded her income, and as ALS progresses, expenses will also increase. In order for Coni to remain in an assisted living facility and get the essential care that she needs, financial assistance is desperately needed. Coni, her friends and fans—past and present—are asking for your help in raising funds for this purpose. Please contribute today! Anything given will be greatly apreciated. Thank you!
Perhaps Coni’s most impressive accomplishment has been her work as a performing artist. An extraordinary vocalist, Coni was active on the music scene from the 1970’s through the 1990’s. She performed extensively up and down the East Coast, appeared at many of the hotel/casinos in Atlantic City, and led a successful entertainment office in the Washington/Baltimore area. Her many fans even included astronauts! A recording of Coni was carried into space aboard Apollo 12. Coni’s style has been compared to iconic vocalists such as Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. However, she had her own musical identity, one that included impeccable musicianship, beautiful tone production, and deep emotional expression. Musicians who played in her band have referred to her as a complete “natural.” She was a perfectionist who demanded excellence from herself and her musicians, many of whom went on to work with vocalists such as Patti Austin, Bill Withers and Donna Summer. One Lesem band alumnus recently noted, “working with Coni Lesem was like graduate school for accompanists!”
One year ago, Coni was diagnosed with the dreadful disease, amyotrophic laterals sclerosis. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neurone disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles. There is no known cure and the prognosis for those who have it is poor. Coni’s expenses have now exceeded her income, and as ALS progresses, expenses will also increase. In order for Coni to remain in an assisted living facility and get the essential care that she needs, financial assistance is desperately needed. Coni, her friends and fans—past and present—are asking for your help in raising funds for this purpose. Please contribute today! Anything given will be greatly apreciated. Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Mark Bensi
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Coni Lesem
Beneficiary