"Homeless Man with the Golden Voice"

from Wikipedia
Ted Williams (born September 22, 1957) was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. According to his mother, his father named him after the all-star baseball player of the same name who was his father's favorite player at the time.[5] He is a father to nine children: seven girls and two boys.[6] Williams served three years in the United States Army, was honorably discharged, and attended school for voice acting.[7] His inspiration to become a radio announcer came from a field trip at age 14, when he found that a radio announcer who he had heard looked nothing like he had imagined. Williams had experience as a radio disc jockey before. He worked some overnight shifts for WVKO (AM) in Columbus when the station played soul music.[8] Williams stated that around 1993, cocaine, crack[9] and alcohol abuse complicated his career and led to his then-current state of homelessness.[10] He says he has been clean and sober since mid-2008.



A video was recorded in Columbus, Ohio at the Hudson Street off-ramp of Interstate 71 (40°00′54″N 82°59′42″W / 40.015063°N 82.994941°W / 40.015063; -82.994941), and posted at the Columbus Dispatch's website on January 3, 2011 by Doral Chenoweth, a videographer for the paper.[11][12] It was reposted to YouTube by a user known only as "ritchey"[13], and within one day it had been viewed millions of times.[14] Williams' story also garnered a large following on the social news websites, with many users pledging donations of money, clothes, and job offers.[15] On January 5, 2011, Williams appeared on the "Dave and Jimmy Show" on WNCI and was interviewed (since clean shaven and hair cut) by The Early Show on CBS.[16] He was interviewed on The Today Show, January 6, doing the lead-in voice over, revealing that he was to have an interview to do voice overs for Kraft Foods.[17]

On January 5, 2011, Williams attempted to fly to New York to reunite with his 92-year old mother.[18] However, TSA did not allow him to do so since Mr. Williams lacked the proper identification material required necessary to enter an aircraft. Williams, through the intervention of The Today Show and The Early Show was able to reunite with his mother the following day.[19] However, Entertainment Tonight reports that he was on the plane but the TSA escorted him out of a side door to avoid the media crowd.[citation needed]

On January 5, 2011, the day after Williams became an internet sensation, the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team offered him a job and a house. The offer calls for Williams to do full-time voiceover work with the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena. Williams responded, "That’s the best deal ever!"[20]

On January 7, 2011, Ted Williams was officially hired by MSNBC.[21]