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Mother and Son Collaborate on Book

Kimberly Garvin and Saadiq Wicks release the book When Oliver Speaks, an inspiring story about a young boy who struggles to overcome his stutter while finding the courage to accept it.
Emily Blunt

Disney has done it again. The movie studio released Mary Poppins Returns, a sequel to the 1964 classic film Mary Poppins.
Q & A with Animesh Sarma

Animesh Sarma had his first big break in his music career as a singer on the reality show, Dil hai Hindustani, in India. Now he's continuing his passion for music by working at the music studio of Pritam Chakraborty.
Embracing the Challenge

As a former NFL Player, Michael Attardi is proof that a stutter doesn't have to hold you back.
Ivan's Story

It all started at the age of 6. My mother thought my speech pattern was due to me mimicking my brother, who had a stutter, too.
New Ways to Work with Attitudes and Emotion

Imagine a therapy that makes no attempt to reduce symptoms, but gets symptom reduction as a byproduct.
Creating a Meaningful Message

Akiva Splaver wrote his first book as a high school student. His inspiring narrative was driven by his own experiences of isolation, trial, and ultimate victory over stuttering.
Growing Up with a Stutter

I don't know what's scarier: my team losing or stuttering in front of everyone. Am I able to talk without humiliating myself?
Famous Screenwriter Who Stuttered Wrote the Screenplay for A Star Is Born

This weekend will mark the highly anticipated release of A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Adding New Voices to Our Blog

Beginning this week, we will be adding a few new voices to the Stuttering Foundation blog.

Archived Articles

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.

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.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

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.

Famous People Who Stutter