Homeless Man with Golden Radio Voice get job with the Chargers

Ted Williams, a homeless beggar held an interesting sign for any driver passing by. He's spent the last two years in a tent after quitting drugs and alcohol that destroyed his life. A poster for youtube out of sheer curiosity stopped and gave him a dollar to hear his voice, that was Monday January 3, 2011. This is what started it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6kI_u3ho_c&feature=related

In these five days after, he's gone from a homeless beggar with no job to a national celebrity. People are asking him to do commercials, work as an announcer for a basketball team, and several others. He's been on the Today Show, John Carson, and today, has reunited with his mother after twenty years. I found this recent article about it:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/01/ted-williams-sudden-fame.html

This is a Cinderella story, and it brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

Comments, thoughts?

 

I watched this in the news. This story is really amazing!

He used to work on the radio and then he took the downhill, eventually becoming a homeless. And now he gets job offers from everyone! I have honesty no words to describe how awesome this story is.

And i am not sure how this might sound, but he reminds me a bit of Susan Boyle, one immediately judges them just by their appearance until they unravel, in a way, their talent (not sure how a baritone not of a singer voice is a talent but anyway...)

 

We make celebrities out of the homeless now? Are the rich and famous not as popular as they once were?

Interesting that he was found, but unsurprising. The homeless are an untapped source of potential, many could likely hold down a job if given the opportunity. Good to see this.

 

Positive PoV: Good for him. It's amazing how Youtube can affect someone's life like that.

Negative PoV: So one homeless guy has been helped out. There are still millions who are homeless, and many of them also have such talents, and have just had a bad time. Why should this guy be given special treatment? He's being held up on a pedestal to say, "Look kids, follow your dreams" when in fact, there are far more people whom it didn't work out for.

 

We're also in the middle of a recession, there's not many jobs for even people who are experts in different fields.

One thing that did upset me during this whole story was the mother's reaction. Yes, granted, he most likely put her through a lot of grief through his homelessness and alcohol and drug problem. But on live television she tore him to shreds on how humiliated she was about the sign he held to get the fame that pulled him out of the situation he was. She ripped into him the whole time and tried to make herself look better in the process. For me, that would be completely and utterly humiliating to see your mother after twenty years and see her publicly humiliate you like that on live television after you also just started to change your life around.

The only downside, in my POV, about the whole story.

 

I've seen this recently as well. He has an awesome voice, and now a job working with the chargers. I was surprised how quickly he got the job, Unfortuantly he resided with drugs - but glad that he's been changing his life around for the last two years. It's cool they interviewed his mother, and few family members to learn about his past.

Congrats dude :D

 

Ah, I've heard about this but only as background noise on the telly I didn't really pay attention untill now. Wow, good for him is all I can say, his voice is amazing! Perfect commercial and radio voice. Like Sara said, it's kind of a Cinderella story. Good for him! :)