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Emily Blunt

Disney has done it again. The movie studio released Mary Poppins Returns, a sequel to the 1964 classic film Mary Poppins.
New Memoir by Lead Singer on "My Generation," the Most Famous Stuttering Song in Rock History

As lead singer of The Who, Roger Daltrey provided lead vocals for “My Generation,” the 1965 anthem which is considered to be the most famous of the many rock songs with stuttering vocals.
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.
Foundation Mourns the Loss of Kids' Letter Editor

Joan Melinda Warner, age 62, died on New Year's Eve 2018. Joan has worked at the Stuttering Foundation since 2004.
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.
W. Somerset Maugham

Somerset Maugham was the most famous writer in the world. He was known everywhere for his superb short stories and for his novels.
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?

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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.

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.

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.

Famous People Who Stutter