Let's hear it for homeless Ted Williams

[kent]

Best of luck to him.....GREAT voice



An Internet video of a homeless man showing off his self-described “God-given gift of a great voice” has landed him a spot on a local radio show, a dream job with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a house. “The Cleveland Cavaliers just offered me a full-time job and a house! A house! A house!” Ted Williams said while appearing on a morning radio show in Columbus called “ Dave and Jimmy.”

Williams was offered the job and free home by a caller to the show who said she represented the Cavaliers, the New York Post reported.

Williams will also appear on NBC's TODAY on Thursday, Matt Lauer said Wednesday.

A reporter from the Columbus Dispatch came across Williams while he was panhandling near Interstate 71 recently. A sign he carried explained that he was a former radio announcer who had fallen on hard times.

“Any help will be gratefully appreciated,” the sign read.

The roadside interview with Williams that appears on YouTube shows that he isn’t exaggerating: His delivery is as smooth as that of announcers heard on radio or television. The popularity of the “the voice” video has soared on the Web, attracting coverage in the Post and on television news.

Williams said he grew up in Brooklyn, and at 14 took a field trip to a radio station. While there, he was struck by the fact that one of the on-air announcers looked nothing like he sounded. “Radio is defined ‘theater of mind,’ ” the announcer told him.

Williams was hooked. He said it took years to develop his voice, and he also went to school for training.

“Alcohol and drugs — and a few other things — became my life,” Williams admitted, but added that he has “been two years clean.”

[Deleted]

Yeah, talk about dulcet pear-shaped tones!

[Opti]

I listened to the video yesterday. I liked the comment I saw attached
to the article that said he got a shot at a radio job.

One Up and millions to go.

Good luck to him and all of us who need that next job.

[kent]

An update on Ted Williams. I don't mean to run this into the ground but I am so impressed by this story I thought you'd like to see the interview he just did. Heartwarming to say the least

today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40944077/ns/today-today_people/?GT1=43001

[swamp]

I wish him the best, but I don't believe he's been clean for 2 years.

[sanityjones]

We need stories like this, thanks kent.

[kent]

Jan 6, 2011 13:10:15 GMT -5 swamp said:

I wish him the best, but I don't believe he's been clean for 2 years.

I believe you do wish him the best but....why so pessimistic? Getting clean and sober has to start somewhere - two years, one year, six months. Perhaps your experience with the legal system has left you (understandably) jaded?

[kent]

Jan 6, 2011 13:26:28 GMT -5 @sanityjones said:

We need stories like this, thanks kent.

Sanity Glad you liked it and the need for more stories like this is exactly why I posted it.

[Anne_in_VA]

Yes, thanks Kent. I saw this on the news this morning and loved it. I hope he gets the job and house that's being offered.

[Peace Of Mind]

I thought he was going to sing! LOL!! Great speaking voice and I wish him great success in his turn around - in all aspects of his life!

Anne - I LOVE your avatar!!

[ken a.k.a OMK]

I read the story and saw the interview. He has quite a talent and seemed very humble about all that is happening to him now. I also wish him success. He praised his 90 year old mother.

[ummboutthat]

Jan 6, 2011 13:10:15 GMT -5 swamp said:

I wish him the best, but I don't believe he's been clean for 2 years.

do wish him the best - guess it took a while to learn life lessons.

[Anne_in_VA]

Thanks POM - it took me awhile to find it!

[naggie72]

He didn't sound like he was drunk or high, that is really easy to tell. He sounded clear voiced and not hesitant so I believe him.

[KaraBoo]

Has anyone hear anything else on this story? I was listening to the radio yesterday morning and the news guys on there were trying to figure out of if he was legit or not. At the time, they couldn't find any record of the radio station he was claiming to have worked at.

Just wondering if anything else was brought up about that and if it was proven true/false?

[adrianblack]

Jan 6, 2011 13:53:50 GMT -5 kent said:

Jan 6, 2011 13:10:15 GMT -5 swamp said:

I wish him the best, but I don't believe he's been clean for 2 years.

I believe you do wish him the best but....why so pessimistic? Getting clean and sober has to start somewhere - two years, one year, six months. Perhaps your experience with the legal system has left you (understandably) jaded?

Yup. Getting clean has to start somewhere. When it comes to getting clean, all progress is good.

I hope he gets the job offered him. I wish him the best. I also wish there were more stories like this one. My cuz works at a homeless shelter. Many people get cleaned up, find good jobs and move on to a better life. I love hearing the success stories.

[Bluerobin]

I watched Ted on a morning show today. He twitches like he is still on speed or something. But he does have a great voice!

[dianartemis]

Stories like this make you believe anything is possible...no matter how bad it gets.

"Never lose hope that life can get better, because it can always get worse." Me

[rick]

I think he was a little jittery from all the excitement

[suzwantstobefree]

Having been around people with addictions, I know that the battle goes on each and every single day. The odds are that when someone has an addiction that they will relapse at some point. However, he understands how far bottom is and that will help him to get through the tough times when he really wants to drink. I agree with Rick that he was probably nervous and that is why he came off as jittery.

I wish him the best of luck and am glad to see that he has a chance to really turn his life around.

[suziq38]

I think he was a little jittery from all the excitement


I think it is a bit more than that.
I think he has permanent damage from all the past drug use, or he may still be on a little speed.

At any rate, he is doing much better than he was, and he has a great voice.
If I was his employer, I would want to drug test him from time to time.

I wonder if that is legal.

[NoNamePerson]

I too hope all turns out well for him.

I also wondered how he seemed to get teeth prettied up so quick from the video and appearences on the morning shows.

And I hate to admit it on a public forum but when I heard he was going to do voice over for mac and cheese, my mind went "Mac and Crack. I knoooowwww, I am an evil person

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Jan 8, 2011 10:36:36 GMT -5 suziq38 said:

I think he was a little jittery from all the excitement


I think it is a bit more than that.
I think he has permanent damage from all the past drug use, or he may still be on a little speed.

At any rate, he is doing much better than he was, and he has a great voice.
If I was his employer, I would want to drug test him from time to time.

I wonder if that is legal.

I think drug testing from employers has to be random, unless court ordered as in part of a sentencing. Ours was random. So was reserves, but my unit got tested 3 months in a row. That defies "random". LOL I also hope this story is true and wish him success.

[kent]

Jan 8, 2011 11:47:50 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

Jan 8, 2011 10:36:36 GMT -5 suziq38 said:

I think he was a little jittery from all the excitement


I think it is a bit more than that.
I think he has permanent damage from all the past drug use, or he may still be on a little speed.

At any rate, he is doing much better than he was, and he has a great voice.
If I was his employer, I would want to drug test him from time to time.

I think drug testing from employers has to be random, unless court ordered as in part of a sentencing. Ours was random. So was reserves, but my unit got tested 3 months in a row. That defies "random". LOL I also hope this story is true and wish him success.

Normally, there has to be a legit business reason for random testing - firefighters driving fire engines, truck drivers, bus drivers, etc. That said, a company could make random testing part of his employment contract which us something I would put into a contract and have it effect for two years or so.

[rick]

Im all for drug testing for anyone, And I dont care if you have a card from a Doctor

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Kent, government contractors and anyone with a security clearance issued by the government are subject to random drug testing.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

A drug test was mandatory before final hiring at my company.

[deziloooooo]

very moving beautiful story as all have said..
I saw a comment on one of the sites , " After watching this story of Ted Williams, I get this feeling that 2011 is going to be so much better then 2010 ". As crazy as it sounds, I relate to that and think so too.

[kent]

Jan 8, 2011 12:37:11 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

Kent, government contractors and anyone with a security clearance issued by the government are subject to random drug testing.

Yep, they sure are.

[TD2K]

It's manadatory at my company to pass a pre-employment drug test and you are subject to random tests at any time. You can get called and have a certain amount of time to report to the testing lab or can be dismissed. I've had to also do a drug test in order to get access to some of our client facilities.