Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey Broderick Stephen “Steve” Harvey is an American comedian, television host, producer, radio personality, actor, and author. While today it’s hard to turn on a TV without seeing Harvey, the Family Feud host originally had a shaky start to his career on screen. After beginning his stand-up career in 1985, Harvey’s lack of success drove him to homelessness, forcing him to spend a few years sleeping in his car and showering in gas stations. In 1990, Harvey earned a spot as a finalist in the Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search, an honor that finally launched him on his path towards fame.

Harvey now hosts a variety of shows, including The Steve Harvey Morning Show, the Steve Harvey talk show, Family Feud, and Little Big Shots. His success spans beyond his work on screen, as he is author of the New York Times Best Seller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man and Straight Talk, No Chaser.

While most of Harvey’s success stems from his skill at entertaining crowds, as a child his severe stutter made him terrified of speaking in front of large audiences. His fear, however, failed to stop him from dreaming of being center stage. When his sixth-grade teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he told her he wanted to be on television. The teacher ridiculed Harvey in front of his classmates and even called his mother, claiming he had been a “smart-aleck” at school. After achieving his lifelong goal, Harvey sent his old teacher a television every Christmas. He wanted her to see “that little boy with the stuttering problem is on TV, seven days a week,” he says.

Although Harvey was terrified of public speaking as a child, he knew he was funny and was determined to show his talent to others. The counterman at his neighborhood deli helped him overcome his stutter by rewarding Harvey with candy when he spoke clearly. “He taught me before you say anything, say it to yourself three times, take your time, and speak on the exhale,” recalls Harvey.

Harvey also cites growing up in poverty as a prime motivation for his hard work. "Poverty kind of pushed me this way; I got tired of it," he says. "I mean, I always had a great sense of humor, but I was very reserved as a kid. Then the older I got, I learned to pick my spots and moments to befunny."

For the most part, Harvey has overcome his stage fright, yet he still takes a moment to mentally prepare himself before every show. "I still have to get psyched up, pumped, to go out there and face all these people," he states. "I want them to laugh, I want them to get their money's worth, so I put a lot of special time into that."

Harvey’s refusal to give up in the face of adversity serves as inspiration to the stuttering community.

Published Sept. 29, 2017

CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

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.

Carly Simon

Carly Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old.

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.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.