By: Taren Vaughan
With the economy in the shape that it is in right now, the number of homeless people continues to skyrocket at an alarming rate as more and more employers continue to give people the axe, some of who have been working with their companies for years at a time. They have been extremely picky about how they give job offers to and Ted Williams knows this very well as just a few weeks ago, he was a member of this bunch.
Subjected to living out on the streets and always in constant search of finding a safe place to lay your head at night is something that the homeless are faced with everyday. Fortunately for Williams, he no longer has to worry about where his next meal is coming from. And he has his voice to thank for that.
Through the likes of YouTube, one of the main sources for people to get large amounts of exposure, Williams was discovered by a Columbus Dispatch reporter mimicking a DJ. When the reporter caught a drift of his voice, what happened for this former drug addict was something that he couldn’t have possibly imagined in his wildest dreams.
Since the debut of his video, Ted Williams has been offered jobs from everyone imaginable. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese gave him his first commercial gig for one of their ads and there has been talk of using his voice for movies as well. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer had to top the cake as they were willing to give Williams not only a job as an announcer but they were also willing to pay for his mortgage for two years. Who could say no to that?
Even though Williams no longer has to call the streets his home, there is some concern about how his new found fame may effect him. We have seen what an unexpected trip to the spotlight has done for others that have come before Williams. And for some, it was not all surrounded by negativity. A lot of great things have transpired for those who have become Internet sensations. But there are those individuals who don’t quite know how to handle the pressures of Hollywood. The vultures of the celebrity world have a tendency to swarm straight towards the newcomers. Just hope Ted Williams is very careful about who he associates with. I wouldn’t want to see him end up back where he started.
Ted Williams may not have seen all of the major deals coming his way. But he did however always know that he had something special. During his days as a homeless man, Williams carried around a tattered cardboard sign reading: “I have a God-given gift of voice.” Now we all know it.
