Ted Williams (pictured), the once-homeless man who catapulted to stardom with his “Golden Voice,” was discovered by a reporter as he stood panhandling at a highway exit ramp holding a handmade sign that read, “I have a God-given gift of voice. I am an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please, any help will be gratefully appreciated.” The reporter filmed Williams using his radio voice, and the video rocketed to millions of views on YouTube. The discovery led to lucrative deals for Williams, but now a mere three years later, he is broke, according to The Columbus-Dispatch.
After the YouTube sensation floored his viewers with his vocal quality, there were tons of subsequent interviews and job offers with companies, such as Kraft Foods, NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers organization, and MSNBC. Williams toured the country on a lecture circuit addressing large groups and organizations about his story in order to share about the plight of homelessness.
Consequently, Williams created “The Williams Project” a not-for-profit organization with a goal of eradicating homelessness in Columbus, Ohio.
Down the pike also came a sweet book deal for the biography “A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation” that garnered the former army vet and former 17-year alcohol/crack/cocaine addict a reported $375,000 advance paycheck.
But now Williams admits he is as broke as a joke, owning neither a home nor a car. And since Williams does not have a driver’s license, his new agent has to reportedly drive him to appearances. “I should have been a millionaire by now,” Williams said, after an appearance on a Marion, Ohio, radio station, where his weekly show hones his microphone skills to a tee.
Since his star rose back in 2011, Williams has lived in hotels paid for by his agent. He then moved to rented facilities and now has an apartment with not a stick of furniture to call his own.
Even though Williams openly claims that he is still “very fragile” in his recovery, helping him to stay the course and to work through a tormented past that still plagues him is a group of Christian women and his longtime girlfriend Kathy Chambers.
Despite his financial setbacks — as well as trying to push aside all of the past resentments and anger toward people who have hurt him — the Father of nine has managed to hold on to his faith and has plans on putting it to good use by doing religious-based public speaking.
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