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Memphis (Nov. 20, 2017) — Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation, mourned the loss of country music legend and longtime Foundation spokesperson Mel Tillis following news of his passing at age 85 on Sunday, November 19.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Nov. 20, 2017) — The passing of Mel Tillis has the country talking about singing and stuttering.

"Understanding what dramatically reduces stuttering during singing may eventually help us understand stuttering better," explains Dr. Barry Guitar of the University of Vermont, author of several Stuttering Foundation publications. He offers the following comments on singing and stuttering:

Professional basketball player Ron Harper, now retired, grew up playing the game in Dayton, Ohio. While by the end of his career he had won five NBA Championships, as a high school freshman and sophomore he was cut from his varsity basketball team.

American actor Eric Roberts boasts a successful career, spanning 40 years and including roles in film, television, and theater. As a child, he was immersed in the world of acting.

While Harvey Keitel has spoken to large audiences from both the stage and the screen, as a child he often had trouble expressing himself due to his stutter. “As a kid I was told to shush,” he says. “And as a result it’s taken me a lifetime to be able to speak.”

As a child, Peggy Lipton’s introversion was only worsened by her severe stutter. The actress often had trouble saying her own name. It wasn’t until she embarked on her acting career that she was able to find a safe haven from her speech impediment.

While Nicole Kidman has appeared in dozens of films, grossing more than $4 billion worldwide, she describes herself as being exceptionally shy, a circumstance that was only worsened by her childhood stutter.

Is it stuttering, or something else? That’s a question I am often asked as the fluency consultant in my school district. More and more, my colleagues and I are seeing students with language problems who also exhibit disfluent speech.