Had David Bowie stuttered as a kid, he might have been too self-conscious to ever approach a microphone. Instead, he — and plenty of other artists — adopted the verbal tic in the recording studio, with hooky hit-making results. We ask two professionals to guide us through the supercatchy art of the speech impediment.
16. "S'S'Say," Ryan CabreraHe stutters over: "Sa-sa-sa-say, say, say, say what you want to say."
Why we love it: The formerly platinum-blond Cabrera has a new look and a new sound for his April release,
Moon Under Water. Is a speech impediment part of the extreme makeover?
The experts say: Considering Cabrera never stumbled over words before, it's not realistic for him to start now. "Stuttering doesn't emerge in adulthood unless you have a neurological injury," says Dr. Nathan Lavid, author of
Understanding Stuttering. "Everyone who stutters as an adult has done it a long, long time."