 The Stuttering Foundation wishes to extend to the family of Mel Tillis their most sincere condolences and prayers at the news of the passing of the country music legend at age 85 on Sunday, November 19. |
 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. |
 It is with much sadness and a heavy heart that the Stuttering Foundation announces the passing of Joe Fulcher, an integral part of the Stuttering Foundation since 1984. |
 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. |
 Jeffrey Blitz is an American director, producer and screenwriter. His first film, Spellbound, a documentary following competitors in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee, earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2003. |
 Although Steve Harvey was terrified of public speaking as a child, he knew he was funny and was determined to show his talent to others. |
 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 notes she 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. |
 Rather than let his stutter get in the way of his success, rapper Kendrick Lamar claims it actually encouraged his musical career. |
 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. |
