Dr. Elvis Francois of the Mayo Clinic sings “Lean on Me” on the TODAY show during the coronavirus pandemic.
If anyone needs a dose of the healing power of music during the coronavirus outbreak, just page Dr. Elvis.
Dr. Elvis Francois sang a rousing rendition of "Lean on Me" on TODAY Thursday, giving people a sample of the beautiful voice the surgeon has been sharing to lift spirits during a difficult time across the country.
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Francois, who is finishing his five-year residency as an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been sharing videos of his songs on Facebook for the past two years.
None of them have moved people quite like his version of John Lennon's "Imagine," which has been viewed more than two million times on Facebook since being posted on March 23.
"I've been taken aback,'' he told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. "The world's going through a very, very difficult time right now, and it's just been awesome to be a small part of just making people's day a little bit better."
He was seemingly destined to be a talented singer, as his mother gave him his name because she is a huge Elvis Presley fan. It's also a natural gift, as he has never had any formal singing lessons.
Francois can occasionally be found singing in the various grand lobbies of the Mayo Clinic with his fellow orthopedic surgery resident, Dr. William Robinson, who appears in the "Imagine" video accompanying him on piano.
Francois' performance has been a ray of light during a time when the public and many health care workers are feeling overwhelmed by the spread of the coronavirus.
"It's been tough for everyone,'' he said. "For providers, there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of uncertainty, frankly.
"It's just beautiful to see us come together. In times as dark as these, nothing shines brighter than the human spirit."
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more stories here:
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