Homeless Ohio man has golden announcer voice (someone get this guy a job!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTysXITBCmk

I'm sure there are thousands of stories out there like this one, but I'm really pulling for this guy.

There is a dude like this on the DC Metro. He sells those "City Lights" papers.

Wow, love this!

It could happen..

The dude that does the voiceovers for blockbuster (small b) film trailers was a train driver on the London Underground, who just happened to make an announcement about delays on the intercom. And got hired. (He was on Eggheads as part of a "voice-over men" charity team. They lost. They did get a small contrib for their charity tho)

Aw man, that's great! (Ohio dude's voice is way better than mine, but tbh had I persisted in radio and as much substance abuse as I did at the time, this could have been me...)

Just got picked up by Gawker. I hope he's got job offers by the end of the day.

Wow that is cool

Apparently, WNCI in Columbus has been talking to him today about a "man on the street" job (which isn't the greatest job, but it's something) and a caller pledged to pay a $15K annual salary for him if he gets hired.

:D

:D

This makes me like people

awesome!

http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/evz04/homeless_man_wgolden_radio_voice_in_columbus_oh/c1bdk0s

Developments being updated...

Nice!

Reddit readers already collected $826 worth of donations to help him get a demo reel/resume together for the job prospects that are sure to come.

The internet makes me feel good today.

Ooh, actually $1,029.30 — http://tedthevoice.com/

Wow that's great!

I'd hate to see some people use this as an opportunity to bring up "but there are homeless people like this ALL OVER THE COUNTRY" and be a buzzkill. I know that. We all know that. Can't we just be happy for a few minutes that one talented guy might have been given a leg up on a decent future? I say yes.

thank you, Dr Pre-emptive Buzzkill

Well, y'know...I'd already seen some of that bubbling up (not here).

"there are homeless people like this ALL OVER THE COUNTRY"

yeah the VO industry has been on the decline in recent years : /

lol

Let us remain positive for Mr Goldenvoice and feel optimistic about the human race for as long as we can ITT

People pulling for him makes me feel even better than the feel-good favorites of the '60s, '70s and '80s.

He's been offered a job by the Cleveland Cavaliers: http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-columbus-homeless-voice-man-ted-williams-cavaliers,0,7356550.story

if he can guard the perimeter i say good move, cavs

lol brownie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWG6zNf4xY0

Radio guy getting involved with drugs and alcohol, why I've never!

Actually, I'm surprised he was never promoted to program director.

http://daveandjimmy.com/main.html

Audio from the local show. Hopefully they can stick by him for the long-term and help him stay clean.

He's supposedly going to be on Jimmy Fallon's show Thursday night.

<3 this dude

he kind of reminds me of bubbles

He's clearly using Christianity as his addiction of choice right now, but that's better than cocaine and booze at least.

^poll?

willie nelson as test case

Well, cocaine and booze never promised to save your life.

only youtube can save your life

Go in peace and refresh your cache.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/meet-felon-golden-voice

Knew that had to be coming.

Homeless ex-drug addict has arrest record, film at 11.

He has urinated in public!

Someone reported them for changing into dry clothes during a rainstorm ---> A real argument for the death penalty...to be enacted upon the caller.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/07/2011-01-07_behind_goldenvoiced_ted_williams_is_exwife_patricia_kirtley_the_real_hero_of_the.html

Patricia Kirtley raised four daughters alone after Williams split 23 years ago and dove down the rabbit hole of drugs.

Not only that, Kirtley took in the baby boy the radioman had with another woman and raised him as her own.

Oh, and by the way, she's partially blind.

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/676/114/61/5X0X5zYDwKRS4R0.jpg

Not surprising. He mentioned in the Dave & Jimmy interview that his kids were all grown and that he wasn't really around to help raise them. Seems like his ex-wife is a really strong person, though, so thank goodness for that.

lol newsnight

Homeless ex-drug addict has arrest record, film at 11.

― children with wasting diseases (Phil D.), Thursday, January 6, 2011 2:37 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

srsly. this kinda hard-hitting journalism is morally bankrupt imo

Those comments on that smoking gun article....

Not these comments here the ones on the article page.

Just wait until the Obama photoshops.

Well, then

Ted Williams, the Ohio homeless man whose golden voice made him a YouTube sensation and brought him offers of work, was detained by the Los Angeles Police Department Monday night at a Hollywood hotel.

According to law enforcement sources, Williams and a unidentified family member were detained after police were called to the Renaissance Hotel on a disturbance call.

[Updated at 8:32 a.m.: The sources described the incident as an altercation with his daughter, but declined to provide further details.]

Williams was eventually released, and the sources said the investigation was continuing. The sources stressed it's unclear if any arrests would result from the probe. Sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.

Oh for the love of cheese. Is he living in a hotel at the moment? I mean, he's still homeless, right?

Y'all have watched Reversal of Fortune, right?

Having worked with many chronic drug addicts, you have to realize that when someone says "2 years clean" they actually mean "two weeks clean." Drug addict time is different.

the internet that built him up (and patted its own back while doing so) now tears him down

and says 'i told you so'

Oh for the love of cheese. Is he living in a hotel at the moment? I mean, he's still homeless, right?

― Jesus Christ, the apple tree! (Laurel), Tuesday, January 11, 2011 9:03 AM (1 hour ago)

Homeless Ohio man living in hotel in Hollywood has golden announcer voice

Oh god, sorry, obv only half paying attention.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A homeless man who became a YouTube sensation for his "golden voice" will check into rehab for treatment of alcohol and drug dependency, representatives for the "Dr Phil" show said on Wednesday.

Ted Williams, 53, made the decision to enter a private rehabilitation facility after a discussion with Dr Phil McGraw about a physical altercation with one of his daughters, the show said in a statement.

Williams and his family discussed that incident during a taping of "Dr. Phil" scheduled for broadcast on Thursday, the show said, and family members revealed Williams has been drinking daily.

"If Ted is ever going to get better, he's got to be honest with himself and admit he's addicted to drugs and alcohol," Dr. Phil McGraw, the show's host, said in the statement.

If I'd been through what he's been through in the last 8 days, I'd probably be drinking too. He never had a shot. That said, I really hope he goes to a great rehab program instead of a treat-em-and-street-em deal (which seems more likely given his fame now) and comes out the other end better for it.

He was homeless for a reason. Good luck to him, but none of this is very surprising.

J Fever otm

Yeah Johnny otm, I hope he can get into a good program, and have good support around him while he's doing it.

Kerm, I know what you're sbeyond but for the record, no one is beyond help and the possibility of failure should never mean being denied a chance to at least try. If getting clean and sober is what comes out of this, then it was worthwhile. maybe that makes me naive, but w/e

sbeyond? Saying. Doh

yeah i agree, like i said i totally wish him well, what I meant is homelessness isn't "oh man i had an unlucky month," there are *serious* problems behind homelessness that don't go away because youtube loves you, and if dude doesn't get real help and take it very seriously, he's going right back where he was.

sbeyonce

SB'Day

I was really really hoping this wouldn't happen :(

Yeah when he said "2 years clean" in that og vid I honestly believed him :(

Tho, I know personally how easy it is to fib even to oneself about such things :/

Crap Ive been going about with a misspelled SN all day *fixes*

Rehab is a myth, a totally unregulated industry staffed mostly by "former" drug addicts and alcoholics, half of whom are still using. Hell, I buy my drugs from a rehab counselor. It's expensive, guarantees repeat business, and barely has a one in ten success rate.

Someone needs to write a Jessica Mitford-style gutting of the rehab industry, "The American Way of Rehab."

Rehab is a myth, a totally unregulated industry staffed mostly by "former" drug addicts and alcoholics, half of whom are still using. Hell, I buy my drugs from a rehab counselor. It's expensive, guarantees repeat business, and barely has a one in ten success rate.

amazed to hear this, never really thought about it in depth. do you have many more evidence on this, magazine articles, stats, etc? is it unregulated in the UK too?

Good NYT article on the subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/health/23reha.html?_r=1

And a excellent piece in the New Yorker about CA-style "luxury rehab," which I imagine is probably the kind of treatment Mr. Williams is going to get since Dr. Phil is footing the bill.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/01/081201fa_fact_fortini

*clicks instapaper* thanks v much!

Just catching up.

The Cavaliers have retracted their job/house offer. Ted's reality show is on hold while he checks into a rehab in Texas for, what Wikipedia says, are emotional and not drug/alcohol reasons.

I'm not surprised he's burst into tears!

So how long did dude's meteoric rise and subsequent fall take place? Like a week? Getting closer to 15 minutes...