Stuttering Didn't Silence His Story

John Stossel knows news. He also knows what it's like to deal with a stuttering problem.

John still struggles with stuttering yet has become one of the most successful reporters in broadcast journalism today.

His public service announcements (PSAs) air on radio stations throughtout the United States.

Text of 30-second PSA

THIS IS JOHN STOSSEL. ANYTHING THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR YOU TO SPEAK, LIMITS YOUR LIFE. SO IF STUTTERING AFFECTS YOU, YOUR CHILD, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CALL THE STUTTERING FOUNDATION FOR HELP. THE NUMBER IS 800-992-9392. THAT'S 800-992-9392 OR YOU CAN VISIT THEIR WEB SITE WWW.STUTTERINGHELP.ORG. THEY CAN REFER YOU TO EXPERT HELP IN YOUR STATE.

Listen to 30 Second PSA

Text of 15-second PSA

THIS IS JOHN STOSSEL. ANYTHING THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR YOU TO SPEAK, LIMITS YOUR LIFE. SO IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW STUTTERS, YOU CAN CALL THE STUTTERING FOUNDATION FOR HELP - 800-992-9392.

Listen to 15 second PSA

The Stuttering Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

John Melendez

He is a talented musician, actor, and comedian. Listen to a podcast.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.