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. 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. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. He hopes to soon release his first album of new material since 1985. Some articles from past decades credit the newfound fluency that Withers received from his speech therapy in the Navy as giving him the confidence to pursue a career in music. Withers' songs have been recorded over the last 36 years by hundreds of artists, such as Barbra Stresiand, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Temptations, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker and Mick Jagger. In this case, it was the first time that both artists who recorded the song were African-American. Finally in 1967, at age 29, he decided to pursue his interest in music. The article in Waxpoetics lists, ".his chronic stutter as one of the possible reasons he stayed in the service for so long, because he used the time to become comfortable with speech and gain self-confidence"Īfter his hitch in the Navy, Withers worked in jobs ranging from aircraft repairman to milkman. It was in the Navy that for the first time he was able receive adequate speech therapy. Not motivated in school and struggling with stuttering, Withers dropped out after ninth grade, later to join the Navy. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics. The April/May 2006 issue of the magazine Waxpoetics sheds some light on the brilliant career of the famed singer and songwriter.īorn in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children.
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