Ted Williams was briefly charmed in 2011. People couldn’t get enough of the once-homeless man’s silky, radio-friendly voice after a video of him went viral online.
Williams’ climb from the streets to some incredibly lucrative assignments became a real-life rags-to-riches narrative when more and more stories about him surfaced.
What happened to Williams when his autobiography got well-known? Williams’ situation has changed as a result of his national fame. Continue reading to learn more about what transpired after Williams’ great break.
To summarise: Williams’ unexpected ascent to stardom began after The Columbus Dispatch broadcasted this tape in 2011. At the time, Williams was appealing for help on the streets of Ohio while holding a sign that stated, “I have a God-given gift of voice.” Williams was on the road at the time.
His unusual voice became well-known. Following that, the Cleveland Cavaliers, MSNBC, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and a slew of other suitors made bids, along with a $375,000 book deal.
Years of drug and alcohol abuse had wrecked Williams’ broadcasting career, but he had been given a second chance at life.
Williams told talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw within a week or two after becoming famous that he was still drinking and was ready to join a rehab facility.
According to CNN, a Dr. Phil Show representative reported that Williams’ decision was inspired by a violent episode involving one of his children.
Williams was only held for 12 days before leaving on his own accord.
Williams returned to treatment four months later and committed to a 90-day program.
Williams apologized to Dr Phil for misrepresenting himself during the therapy, including his sobriety.
Williams went on the Today show in May 2012 to discuss the publication of his book, A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work.
According to the memoir, Williams was a poor parent who “helped his partner get prostituted so he could get money for narcotics,” among other things.
Williams also spoke about his ongoing battle with alcoholism, telling Today anchor Matt Lauer that when he moved to Hollywood, he substituted hard narcotics for alcohol in the expectation that “nobody would know.” While Ted’s drinking would go unreported, his crack use would be widely publicised.
Williams said that this time, he had surrounded himself with better people, including a new lawyer.
Williams admitted in an extensive interview with The Columbus Dispatch in October 2014, nearly four years after the release of his life-changing video, that he had been struggling to make ends meet despite keeping his contract with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, securing a six-figure book deal, and obtaining additional radio and voiceover work.
“I’m a little under the weather financially,” he admitted.
I shouldn’t have signed a handful of early contracts in 2011.
There were numerous people in my life at the time who should not have been there.”
Williams, who narrated the 2013 film Houseless, later admitted to not owning a single item of furniture.
“I am nothing at all.” He intended to get a car, a licence, and a place of his own in the future.
Williams stated that he was still sober, which was encouraging.
Williams’ meteoric rise prompted a slew of bizarre stories, but none were as unexpected as his announcement that he would run for President of the United States. Williams made the news in June 2015 while participating in Scott Spears’ Now radio show on WWGH-FM in Marion, Ohio, according to USA Today.
He claimed that I was created to bring about change. “I want to be successful. When I saw everyone else rushing, why not make the most extreme adjustments possible?”
Far-fetched? Maybe. Williams highlighted Republican nominee Donald Trump as one of the reasons he decided to run, and he has recently given several motivational speeches. “I can do it if he can do it.”
Unfortunately, his presidential candidature had failed by the end of that summer, and his presidential candidature had failed. “I wanted to focus on other things,” he told NBC News. I attempted to motivate and encourage people.”
Alfred Battle, Williams’ former manager, allegedly tried to get him to join a heroin smuggling operation, which would have prevented his return.
Battle was detained at Newark Airport on July 21, 2016, after coming on a plane from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, “with 18 pounds of heroin worth $512,000.”
According to the Daily Mail, Williams claimed he was requested to follow Battle to Africa in exchange for being “treated like a king” and “rewarded at least $10,000.” Fortunately, Scott Anthony, Williams’ current manager, forbade it.
“He might have put some narcotics on me,” Williams speculated about Battle’s motivations. Or maybe he’d make me the fall guy in some way. They would have imprisoned me for life even if I had been strolling next to him and had not understood what he intended.”
Battle “pleaded guilty as part of a plea arrangement to a felony charge of possession with intent to distribute a prohibited hazardous narcotic,” according to The Columbus Dispatch. He is expected to spend eight years in prison.
Williams voiced the revived “Joy of Pepsi” campaign for Pepsi. “Alright, everyone, if this doesn’t have your toes tapping, check your pulse,” he says at the commercial’s start. Tori Kelly, the singer of “It Should Have Been Us,” then performed the commercial’s prominent theme for the first time. Britney Spears sang the original jingle.
According to PepsiCo, the new version “reflects Pepsi’s lengthy legacy in pop culture,” The firm has effectively established itself as a market leader and teamed with the top talent in sports and entertainment.
Williams has never worked for a well-known beverage firm before his hiring. Given the size and scale of the cola corporation, the fact that the advertising appeared during the 2016 Super Bowl, and other considerations, we believe Williams made a significant profit from his voiceover contract.
The Columbus Dispatch profiled Williams again five years after the publication of his well-known video to see how he had evolved. Fortunately, this time the news was positive!
Williams announced the launch of The Golden Voice Show, a daily radio show in Columbus, Ohio. According to The Columbus Dispatch, it was broadcast on WVKO-AM, the same radio station where Williams began his career in the 1980s.
“See how God works,” Williams, a devout Christian, said to the audience.
Williams is well aware of how fortunate his situation was. Williams allegedly said during one of his talks, “I’m almost like a poster child for redemption,” while smiling, according to Christian Today.
Williams appeared on Oprah’s Where Are They Now? in 2016.
According to the Good News Center, Williams has even loftier altruistic goals. “I want to create a homeless laundromat,” he stated, alluding to “a laundromat where volunteer attendants wash and dry homeless people’s clothes so they can get back to work as he did.”
Ted Williams registered to vote at the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus, Ohio, in October 2016, and NBC4 happened to film the incident. “Vote or don’t complain,” he said to the cameras in a cheery tone.
On the other hand, Williams registered to vote for reasons other than simply supporting the candidates; he did so to reclaim his voice as an American citizen after being silenced for years owing to his poverty.
In an interview with NBC4, Williams claimed that performing his civic duty was a significant accomplishment because it had been more than 20 years since he had done so.
“Do you understand what I’m saying? For the first time in 25 years, I’m voting today.”
