Why can't we just have a normal televised talent show, without any interference from the network? These shows generally know which contestants are more "marketable", and then do everything they can to promote them, while trying to hold others back. We certainly don't need a panel of quasi-celebrity judges with their 'witty' commentary. Also, American Idol might be one of the worst of the singing shows, in the way that it forces contestants to do things that are outside of their norm (for example, requiring a country singer to do disco during the "Disco Week&quot and then slamming those contestants when they don't do well. The whole thing just comes across as so artificial and bland to me.

Bring back the days of shows like "Star Search"

as a kid in the 70's I remember watching him on Hee-Haw!

james earl jones has a terrible stutter when he speaks, so he learned to sing his lines -- no stutter!

it's subtle, but also one of the reasons he has such a dramatic, theatrical presence when he acts.


jan of jan & dean had a car accident and was in a coma and never regained normal speech function, but he could still sing.



a highly simplified part of the explanation is that speech processing and singing processing are not entirely in the same parts of the brain.

and a lisper ... and I could not pronounce 'R' correctly ...

In fourth grade I was placed in Speech Therapy, where I was taught how to overcome these impediments.

For stuttering, the therapy was 'breath before starting a sentence, slow down, and start exhaling before you begin to speak ... every word should have the weight of exhaled breath to carry the word out of your mouth.

It was excellent therapy - I was speaking smoothly within a few months of practice.

So, I posit that singing, with its emphasis on proper breathing techniques, and the need to exhale breath in large amounts during vocalization, is the reason that stutterers have fewer problems when they are singing

You have an intelligent and informed voice (not to mention you deviant sense of humor). I, for one. enjoy hearing from you, deviant as your posts my be.

I actually didn't realize I was mispronouncing 'R' and 'S' until I started therapy ... it was all about learning to reform the shape of my vocal tract- tongue/teeth/throat ... I still occasionally have the problems pop up now and then when I stress ... But I've never forgotten what I learned ...

I am still fearful when speaking in public, but it has nothing to do with stuttering, and everything to do with stage fright ...

We do know and we have known for sure, at least since Mel Tillis.
Talking and singing are controlled by different parts of the brain. Speech on one side and singing on the other.
It is easy to google information on this. Lazy reporter.