A
S TUTTERING FOUND A TION TRIBUTE
R EMEMBER ING MEL T ILLIS S TUTTERING DIDN'T SILENCE HIS SONG
Early in his career, country music superstar Mel Tillis stuttered so severely that he couldn’t even thank the audience at the end of a performance. But ever since his role as the curtain-puller for a first-grade play, Tillis wouldn’t let stuttering keep him from the stage.
“I found out early that I could sing without stuttering,” Tillis said.
His first-grade teacher
realized that too. She encouraged young Mel to sing in front of the class at elementary school in Plant City, Florida, paving the way for his future success.
Singing in front of the class was Mel's first step toward legendary fame as a Country Music Hall of Fame recording artist, Grand Ole Opry member, stage performer, and songwriter.
Tillis was
spokesman for the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation of America and served as Honorary Chairman of National Stuttering Awareness Week in 1998.
“Mel Tillis proved again and again that people who stutter could be highly successful,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation.
Tillis joins a host of other famous people who stuttered, like Winston Churchill, singer Kenrick Lamar, actor James Earl Jones, and journalist John Stossel. The Stuttering Foundation estimates that stuttering affects more than three million Americans.
But like so many artists, success only came after hard work and long hours on the road. Tillis played music wherever he went, even putting together a band in the Air Force to entertain the troops.
Mel never spoke on stage until long after he moved to Nashville and became an established songwriter and guitar player. Things changed after he joined Minnie Pearl’s band. Minnie,
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Mel Tillis passed away on November 19, 2017 at the age of 85 while surrounded by family and friends. His memorial service, held on November 27 in Clarksville, Tennessee, celebrated his kind spirit, optimism, and sense of humor most of all.
The
front page of the program titled "In Loving M-M- Memory" was a loving nod to his lifelong stutter, which he used in his stage and screen comedy performances. He was a lifelong advocate and spokesman for The Stuttering Foundation and a champion for people who stutter worldwide.
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