Let’s assume that Claudia Urbschat-Mingues calls. Or Manfred Lehmann. Volker Brandt wouldn’t be bad either. It would probably knock most people off their feet. The question that then involuntarily shoots through your head: What do Angelina Jolie or Bruce Willis want from me? And how did Michael Douglas get my phone number? Now, of course, it is also rather unlikely that their German dubbing actors will ring the bell. But purely hypothetically, many people would certainly recognize the voices. You’ve heard them often enough.
But there are also people who can’t do it at all. They are unable to identify people by their voice. This is called phonagnosia and can be congenital or triggered by a stroke. This phenomenon has not yet been intensively researched. Scientists are said to have first dealt with this field of brain research in 2008, when a woman reported to University College London who could not distinguish between voices. She was then played recordings of 96 famous people, from Margaret Thatcher to David Beckham. However, she only recognizes one: Scottish actor Sean Connery.
On the other hand, there are apparently also people who are incredibly good at remembering voices. Just as some have a photographic memory, they apparently have a phonetic or acoustic memory. Once heard, never forgotten. The landlord of a Greek restaurant in Unterhaching is probably one of these people with such a fine ear. When asked about a free table that same evening, he answered: “Yes, come at a quarter to eight.” Does he still need a name for the reservation? “No, I know your voice.” That’s amazing if you don’t eat there regularly and it’s been almost a year since you last visited. You’re not a regular customer, but obviously you’re a voice customer.
But whether he was expecting someone completely different that evening because everyone sounds like Sean Connery to him remains his secret. There is always a place for voting customers.