The True “Rain Man” Dead at 58

Kim Peek, the true “Rain Man” is dead at the age of 58.

Fran Peek, Kim’s father, said he had a major heart attack Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital in a Salt Lake City suburb.

Kim was a savant with a truly remarkable memory.He could recall facts and figures at a remarkable pace. His motor skills, however, were so lacking; he could not dress himself. He was the inspiration for the 1988 movie, Rain Man,” that won four Academy Awards.

“Rain Man” writer, Barry Morrow, met Kim at a convention and the writer was so impressed with his ability to retain everything he heard that he wrote the script based on Kim. Dustin Hoffman won the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Kim and the movie won best film.

Fran Peek said his son was every bit as amazing as Hoffman’s portrayal of him. He said, “It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew. He traveled 5,500 miles short 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people–half have been students.”

As Peek grew older he was classified as a “mega-savant” who was a genius in about 15 different subjects including history, geography, sports and music. He had reportedly committed over 9,000 books to memory.

The true “Rain Man”, dead at 58, is survived by his father.