Althouse: The homeless guy with the "golden radio" voice triumphs...

January 6, 2011

The homeless guy with the "golden radio" voice triumphs...

... or so it seems.

34 comments:

Awesome said...: Bad news: 20 year long rap sheet.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/meet-felon-golden-voice; 1/6/11, 10:23 AM
Anonymous said...: thesmokinggun.com is reporting that Williams has a felony rap sheet that includes robbery, forgery and drug possession, although none of the crimes apparently involved violence.

If Ted Williams' crimes were indeed non-violent, then I say, more power to him, and perhaps he can use his gainful employment to compensate the people he wronged.

Word verification: biera.; 1/6/11, 10:25 AM
Phil 314 said...: I hope he's plugged in with good aftercare or an AA group to get good accountability and to remain clean and sober.

Hopefully in a year he looks like this and not like this; 1/6/11, 10:27 AM
garage mahal said...: With mustache, Ted Williams looks just like Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy.; 1/6/11, 10:28 AM
Anonymous said...: No need to belabor the obvious, but...

The drug and alcohol addict has often reached that end because of an inability to deal with the pressure of human relationships and business dealings.

This is, indeed, just the start for the amazingly named Ted Williams.

This will be a test to see if he can handle the stress and pressure of a successful life handed to him on a platter.

That's often a problem, too... the handing it to him on a platter, I mean.

Everybody's going to want to party with this guy. Women who would have spit on him a week ago will be competing to sleep with him.; 1/6/11, 10:29 AM
Rialby said...: That dude needs to hire his own minder to make sure he stays on the straight and narrow.; 1/6/11, 10:30 AM
paul a'barge said...: The guy is a congenital criminal. Get to The Smoking Gun web site and look at this guy's arrest record. It's wicked long.

What is wrong with people? Surely we all know that there's a reason this guy has a talent but is standing on the side of a road, begging and homeless.

See @awesome, 1st post.; 1/6/11, 10:31 AM
Lincolntf said...: I'm rooting for this guy with all my heart. I can't imagine how many public servants paid to "help" the poor drove right past this guy until a dude with an Iphone
decided to try to do something for him. I hope the guy who pulled over and taped the original YouTube clip gets some sort of civic recognition for his good deed. Even if he doesn't he knows that he's a good person, and that's priceless.; 1/6/11, 10:38 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/11, 10:41 AM
Toad Trend said...: OK so the guy has a rap sheet. Is it a surprise? Not to me.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I will forgive. It costs me nothing. If he is able to turn his life around and make good, perhaps make it up to his family, those he stole from or otherwise, then I say good for him.

Same for Mike Vick.

It is, after all, the greatest of all of God's laws. Love thy neighbor as thyself.; 1/6/11, 10:42 AM
X said...: kind of reminds me of mike vick on a smaller scale. it may be unfair, but talent will get you more second chances. I wish him well.; 1/6/11, 10:43 AM
Awesome said...: Something fishy with this guy - I feel like I'm being smooth-talked by a con artist or car salesman or politician or something.

I don't understant why more folks aren't as skeptical as I am.

feelsgoodman.jpg I guess.; 1/6/11, 10:44 AM
SBVOR said...: "perhaps he can use his gainful employment to compensate the people he wronged"

Don't hold your breath. I think the best we can hope for is that he will no longer commit such wrongs. Here's hoping for that.; 1/6/11, 10:45 AM
bagoh20 said...: If you haven't resorted to crime, then you haven't hit bottom. Angels living on the street who follow the rules and suffer in silence with ethics in tact is a silly fantasy story.

Angels don't need redemption, so if you want a realistic redemption story, you need to cast it with a criminal.

I think this is a great story. It may go bad, but right now in the middle, it's glorious.; 1/6/11, 10:47 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: That dude needs to hire his own minder to make sure he stays on the straight and narrow.

This. I wish him the best and hope he doesn't blow this second (mabye third or tenth chance who knows how many chances he has had.)

He is certainly going to need his own will power and can use some help. AA is a great organization.

I know several people who had fallen to their lowest point, have had criminal records and through AA and other organizations have completely turned their lives around and become model citizens. I also know others who have failed and are God knows where.; 1/6/11, 10:48 AM
bagoh20 said...: "Same for Mike Vick."

You got to be kidding. Vick tortured and killed helpless animals because he was broke, disadvantaged, unlucky, or what?

It's like equating self defense with premeditated murder.; 1/6/11, 10:50 AM
G Joubert said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/11, 10:50 AM
William said...: He has a streak of self destructiveness wider than the road to hell. He is fortunate that the ravages of sin did not affect his one true gift, that of his voice..... Some people really do touch bottom and come back up. It really happens. And it gives us all a frisson of hope when it does.....It's paradoxical but his present success is due to the utter debacle of his life. That mellifluous voice would not sound so mellifluous coming from a guy in a pin stripe suit.; 1/6/11, 10:56 AM
Toad Trend said...: @bagoh20

""Same for Mike Vick."

You got to be kidding. Vick tortured and killed helpless animals because he was broke, disadvantaged, unlucky, or what?

It's like equating self defense with premeditated murder."

Not kidding, and not equating, either.

Forgiveness.

If you can't forgive, then, well I hope you know the rest.; 1/6/11, 10:58 AM
kjbe said...: c3, I agree. This won't be easy for him.

My hope is that he can accept the good fortune that's now coming his way. For those of us who have taken the long way 'round, it's all too easy to believe that good things don't happen to bad people.

Bless, too, the person who took and posted the video.; 1/6/11, 11:01 AM
Unknown said...: I saw that he was getting some jobs, but hadn't heard about the rap sheet.

Not surprising, the guy was living on the fringes of society. The rules tend to seem less important when survival is the issue.

That said, and while I agree with c3 and Rialby, I also have say Awesome's second comment is also worth consideration.; 1/6/11, 11:05 AM
Paddy O said...: A friend of mine knew him before his life nosedived. On his facebook page a bit ago he wrote:

"You know the guy, Ted Williams, that all of America is in love with because he has a Golden Voice From God...I worked with him back in the 80's...learning this, I can say it couldn't happen for a nicer guy. AWESOME!

I met him when I was "just breaking in" through The American School of broadcasting. He was in the class ahead of me there. from there we both worked at WZZT, Z103.1 FM which was an Urban station.

He went by the name Sylvester and had really long hair. He was a super nice guy...A real encourager and quick to laugh."

As far as his past, of course he has one. That's the great thing about America, though. At any point, someone can turn around and make something of themselves. The whole country was built on men and women of often questionable pasts, getting a new start.; 1/6/11, 11:09 AM
rhhardin said...: Armstrong and Getty have been amazed at the publicity the story is getting. Hour 1 today.

There are three guys with a better voice out of work in their own building, they say.

Dime a dozen is the current DJ job market.; 1/6/11, 11:15 AM
Christopher in MA said...: "The whole country was built on men and women of often questionable pasts getting a new start."

e.g., see "Obama, B. Hussein"; 1/6/11, 11:17 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/11, 11:23 AM
bagoh20 said...: About this forgiveness thing: For me: 1st, only your victims can forgive you. 2nd, forgiveness does not change anything about what the culprit is, only atonement can change that, by changing the total outcome of one's life. For some it's a lot deeper hole to fill than for others.

I expect Williams to fill his hole and build something on top of it.; 1/6/11, 11:30 AM
knox said...: If you can't forgive, then, well I hope you know the rest.

Hmmm. I guess I need a little more time to pass before I am ready to smile on Michael Vick and say "I Forgive You. I wish you all the success and riches in the world!"

The Ted Williams circumstances are VERY different.

Also, I agree with bagoh in that, bestowing forgiveness when you're not one of the victims feels artificial and somewhat presumptuous.; 1/6/11, 11:45 AM
coketown said...: Ah, tough luck, kid. Ya missed ya ticket; radio's yesterday's news. It's day old garbage. It's a four-letter word for fecal matter. And trust me, pal, you ain't gotta face for television.; 1/6/11, 11:59 AM
Awesome said...: I keep thinking about The Elephant Man film for some reason. The media is totally grossing me out with this story.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/golden-voice-ted-williams-visits-good-morning-america-12554617; 1/6/11, 12:08 PM
Awesome said...: Good Morning America dressed him up in his cute little camo jacket street corner outfit. Gross.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/golden-voice-ted-williams-visits-good-morning-america-12554617; 1/6/11, 12:10 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/11, 12:35 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Good Morning America dressed him up in his cute little camo jacket street corner outfit. Gross.

I hate it when they (the media) does this kind of crap. It is like he is their latest toy, latest novelty, pet, cool new thing. They shower attention all over him/her and go over the top with hype laden coverage, trot him out like a show pony..... and ......THEN.....at some point just drop him/her like an inconvenient dog might get thoughtlessly and heartlessly dropped off at the pound.

The poor person is left befuddled and confused. One day the darling.....the next day there is a new kid in town

Cruel.; 1/6/11, 12:37 PM
michaele said...: A great sounding voice can open the door to all sorts of opportunities....it helped Obama get a pretty fancy address.; 1/6/11, 3:40 PM
Methadras said...: You just have to wish this guy the best of luck and to not lose his focus. If he is a redeemable soul, we will find out shortly.; 1/6/11, 3:54 PM