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Leslie Barnett
I was born into a dysfunctional poor family and quickly learned the art of commerce by selling papers and collecting empty bottles. School never appealed to me because subjects like the 'Queens Eng...view moreI was born into a dysfunctional poor family and quickly learned the art of commerce by selling papers and collecting empty bottles. School never appealed to me because subjects like the 'Queens English' with its nouns and pronouns made no sense to me due to my disability. But fortunately for me I was never bullied at school. Rather, admired for my talents in music and science when helping out my peers.Teachers unaware of the effects of autism became very frustrated with me due to my inability to concentrate resulting in one teacher physically assaulting me. As a government cover-up and for the sake of my younger brother's admittance into the same school, it was agreed by my parents and the Victorian Education Department that I take special leave at the age of fourteen.After leaving school I jumped from one job to another never really satisfied until I landed a job with a cash register company. It was there in among ‘living mechanical parts’ that my destiny was made known to me. Please allow me to share with you my spiritual calling.At the age of twelve I realised that my home and schooling was not of man’s doing but God's eternal plan ~affirmed to me at the age of five when experiencing an angelic encounter as mentioned in all my publications.It was from this tender age that I began to receive dreams that were unfortunately dismissed as normal fanciful childhood imaginations. However it would be many years later when receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit that these dreams were realised when teaming up with Billy Graham’s 'Youth for Christ' ( Ephesians 1:5 / Acts 1:8).Our Y.F.C team of speakers and musicians would travel in and around the Victorian country side evangelising in small churches preaching with zeal and enthusiasm. Added to the list were Church rallies, youth camps and coffee shops and street witnessing.During that time Christ’s message of love and peace was very much in vogue, made popular by the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War activists. The radio waves were bombarded with religious songs like “Jesus is just alright with me” performed by the Doobie Brothers and Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” Also high on the charts were religious songs sung by Pat Boone,and his daughter Debbie Boone whose song " You light up my life" was a number one hit.But the biggest surprise of all was Bob Dylan’s Christian conversion with recording album ‘Slow Train Coming’ which topped the music charts in 1979. There was also the Australian production of the hit musical ‘God-spell’ who’s leading lady was Australia’s own recording artist, Colleen Hewett. It was during that time that many Christians from all denominations including Catholics and Messianic Jews resembled early disciples with the same enthusiasm, preaching with zeal and boldness. Yes my friends those were the glory days when simply bowing before the throne in worship would touch hearts, including my own, and lift the spirits of those who sensed the incredible love of God (Romans 5:13).At that time God gave me an opportunity to be part of a live radio broadcast held every Sunday morning on Melbourne’s 3DB studios singing gospel music alongside Australia’s finest country recording artists, including Col Joye, Bobby Bright and Laurie Allan. But my biggest break came when Bill Armstrong invited me to his recording studio to sample some of my zany musical sounds for advertising jingles. It was from this gig that I meet Brian Cadd who later was to produce a number one hit song "Marshall's Portable Music Machine"Under the stage name Marshall, Brian Cadd's song opened up my career as a 'site act' in RSL clubs and TV shows such as ; A Current Affair with Mike Willesee, Graham Kennedy Tonight,and the Mike Walsh today show. I even had a gig with singer actress Eartha Kitt with Tommy Tycho's band at the 'Sydney Opera House' and a slot with Rolf Harris at Westfield's Carnival Capers.Another blessing came when a talent scout signed me up as co-presenter on a children’s morning show called the "Super Flying Fun Show" which opened a door into the Australasian Christian Broadcasting Association where I hosted a religious TV segment with a well-loved ventriloquist character named Elfie. Although just a children’s personality, anyone who appeared on TV was a celebrity which entailed a very rigorous schedule of church rallies, live TV and talk-back radio.Apart from music, I always had a keen interest in electronics, which not only enabled me to build my music machine but an animatronic robot named Algatron. This realistic personality was designed as an educational tool for purposes of teaching students the principals of Albert Eisenstein’s “Imaginary" problem solving techniques. One of the highlights of Algatron's career was an invite by the then minister for Science Peter Mc Gauran to be a mascot for the 1994 Canberra Science Festival. This engagement was to prove embarrassing when due to a technical malfunction Algatron spilled water all over Peter's shiny new shoes in view of a nationwide TV audience.When reminiscing on my 45 year career in the arts, I can see the hand of God when creating me an Aspie and for gifting me the skills inherited from my three times great grandfather (I.O.S) Edward Roberts. And although I've studied at (UPC) Bible College, my knowledge and revelation of God’s Word has been learned from personal experiences with several Christian denominations. But more-so my pedantic-ism in the arts of music, theatre, and science has given me the skillsneeded in the science of religious apologetics when writing my books.Currently I’m entertaining with my side -kick Tommy Tucker performing ventriloquism and singing Gospel.view less
Books by Leslie Barnett
Loadicean Heretic Following Jesus' on the Spectrum Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTongues. A Touch from God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings