What happened to Steve-O’s voice? A doctor spoke out

Entertainer and performer Steve-O was a fixture in almost every addition to the Donkey franchise, but he’s probably best recognized by his voice. His raspy tone made him incredibly recognizable, but what happened to his voice to make him sound like that?

Although Steve initially attributed his hoarse voice to years of drug abuse and some extreme stunts, after meeting with Dr. J. Randolph Schnitman, an ENT specialist who has worked with some well-known singers, it turned out that this was not the reason for his croaky tone.

According to the doctor, the reason for this sound of Steve’s voice is that he uses his throat muscles and not his vocal cords when speaking.

“Really, Doc?” Steve-O said, relaying this information in a YouTube video. “After everything I’ve been through, just tell me I’m just not good at talking.”

Throughout his career, Steve-O has performed many wild stunts, such as eating glass. He has also admitted to using a variety of drugs for recreational purposes, including cocaine, meth, PCP, and laughing gas. But despite being sober for more than a decade and swearing off some of the more extreme stunts, his voice has not improved.

“To be honest, I always thought my world record for the most vomiting on TV might have something to do with it,” he jokes at the beginning of the video.

Steve-O has reportedly been working with a voice coach to learn how to speak with his vocal cords rather than his throat muscles, although he admitted, “I don’t even know if I want my voice is changing.”

“I like being recognized on the phone – and my girl certainly wouldn’t want anything else,” he continued. “But I’m still going to try my best because maybe I can use it in a healthier way.”