Lem's festival experience began in 1980 at the Kansas Folklife festival as an accompanist and singer with the folk ensemble, The Eva Jessye Choir. He was invited back the following year as a soloist and since then he has gained recognition and earned awards from folk and blues organizations.
He was selected to represent the state of Kansas at the Kennedy Center on the Millennium Stage, he composed the sound tract to the PBS documentary, "Black White & Brown," Performed in South Africa at the International Eisteddfod and toured Brazil for the State Department. Recently lem contributed to the documentary ,I'm so Glad ," a documentary on the Kansas City roots of gospel music.
