Homeless man with velvety voice gets job
Published 11:59 am Thursday, January 6, 2011
CLEVELAND — From homeless to household name.
Ted Williams, whose deep, velvety voice and touching story prompted an outpouring of sympathy and job offers from across the country, has become an overnight sensation.
He’s America’s hottest — and most improbable — star.
Today, Williams, who was living in a tent near a highway in Columbus, Ohio, just days ago, will be in New York for an emotional reunion with his 90-year-old mother and to appear on NBC’s “Today” show — one of many interview requests to come his way in the past two days.
“I can’t believe what’s going on,” Williams said Wednesday. “God gave me a million-dollar voice, and I just hope I can do right by him.”
Left homeless after his life and radio career were ruined by drugs and alcohol, Williams has been offered a job by the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 53-year-old is being pursued by NFL Films and others for possible work. Williams and his compelling tale became an online sensation after The Columbus Dispatch posted a clip of him demonstrating his voiceover skills while begging by the side of the road.