Documentary Shares Bob Love's Story

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

After a career ending back injury he was told by doctors that he would have difficulty walking, let alone play the game he loved. He could no longer hide his inability to speak, and his life spiraled out of control.

Find Yourself A Dream – The Bob Love Story is a one hour documentary about the inspirational true story of Chicago Bulls legendary basketball player, Bob "Butterbean" Love. Written and directed by award winning director, Jim White, its message is about achieving one’s goals, no matter how difficult, and the importance of an education in reaching those goals. It chronicles Bob Love’s battle to overcome his most formidable opponent, his stuttering, to become one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the country.

In Find Yourself A Dream, Bob’s life is depicted through interviews, archival basketball game footage and on-location scenes with family members, old friends, fans, and teammates.

There are on-camera interviews with NBA Commissioner David Stern; Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf; Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, and others. The documentary also includes a montage of positive and inspirational comments about what Bob Love has meant to them and their sport from basketball greats like Oscar Robertson, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Russell, and others.

For more information about the documentary, Bob’s National School Speaking Tour, or the upcoming feature film Butterbean, please contact: Steve Kennedy or Jay Rizzo at 312-368-0429, or info@americasfilmfund.com.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin, the basketball sensation who was named to the NBA’s All Star Team in 2004, joins other famous people who stutter in a new brochure. The brochure - which unfolds into a small poster - is available free of charge from The Stuttering Foundation.

The poster is intended to give children and adults who stutter inspiration as they grapple with their speech disorder.

Bob Love

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.

Lewis Carroll

The recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering. Carroll was born to parents who were first cousins; almost all of their eleven children, three girls and seven boys, struggled with stuttering past childhood.