Did Elvis have a stuttering problem?
Elvis Presley, who is beloved to millions all over the world for his beautiful singing voice, had to overcome a problem with his speech as he was climbing the ladder of success. Not many are aware that The King of Rock and Roll had a stuttering problem.
The book, Elvis: Behind The Legend: Startling Truths About The King of Rock and Roll’s Life, Loves, Films and Music, discusses Presley’s stammering issue as well as other stunning discoveries about the man behind the image.
From Elvis Presley’s childhood through his early adult years, it seems that Elvis would stutter when he got overly excited about something. Elvis’ childhood girlfriend, Mary Magdalene Morgan (pictured below), recalled in a 2007 interview that Elvis would stutter in elementary school.
“He always seemed nervous. He could never completely sit still,” she said. “He stuttered but not to the point you couldn’t understand him. It was like, ‘Ah…ah…ah.’”
Singing can be a form of speech therapy for people with stammering issues. Elvis started singing at an early age with his first public performance at the age of 10. Some suggest that Elvis was encouraged to sing because of his stuttering problem. Whether it was intentional or not, the fact that Elvis started singing as a child most likely helped him gain confidence with his speech and help him control his speech impediment.
However, evidence of Presley’s stammering problem as an adult can be heard on recordings from The Louisiana Hayride when Presley was launching his career. Elvis blatantly stutters when he talks to the audience in-between songs. When Elvis starts stammering, he purposely stops himself and pauses and then continues with what he is saying, slightly changing the words, in order to avoid more stuttering.
For example, on August 20, 1955, when Presley is performing live, he introduces the song “Maybellene”: “We got a song right now friends, that we’d like to do for you. We ain’t been doing it but-but-but-but one-one, yeah… We hadn’t done it but once on The Louisiana Hayride. We only learned it a couple of days ago…” (LISTEN BELOW)
In an interview in August 1956, Elvis admitted that he stuttered: “Whenever I get excited, I stutter a little bit. I have a hard time saying ‘when’ or ‘where’ or any words that start with ‘w’ or ‘i.’”
In April 1956 during a brief stint in Las Vegas, Elvis catches himself stuttering when he introduces some of the celebrities sitting in the audience. Right before singing “Blue Suede Shoes,” Elvis says: “…two celebrities we have in the house. We may have more, but these two fellas, I-I-I-I-I… yeah, I know are here and I’d like to do this little song here for them.” (LISTEN BELOW)
Another example of Presley’s stammering can be heard in the movie, King Creole, in 1958 during a scene with Dolores Hart who plays his love interest. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-where would you like to go?” Elvis asks her. (SEE BELOW)
While Elvis chose to deal with his stuttering issue on his own, he didn’t let this stand in the way of his dream to become a successful entertainer. People struggling with stammering issues can find inspiration in knowing that they share something deeply personal with one of the most successful singers of all time.
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This article is an excerpt from the book, Elvis: Behind The Legend: Startling Truths About The King of Rock and Roll’s Life, Loves, Films and Music, by Trina Young.
Read more fascinating facts about Elvis Presley in the ELVIS: Behind the Legend book, available in paperback and E-book Kindle format.
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