Homeless Man with Golden Voice Goes from Streets to 'Today'
Ted Williams' life has completely changed overnight -- from panhandling on the streets of Columbus, Ohio just days ago, to appearing on the "Today" show Thursday to talk about becoming a YouTube sensation.
A video was filmed next to a Columbus freeway showing Williams asking for money with a handwritten sign. Columbus Dispatch web producer Doral Chenoweth discovered Williams had a voice perfect for radio -- put it on the paper's website -- and the rest is internet history. Now the job offers have come pouring in.
The man with the golden pipes explained to "Today" hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira how he ended up on the streets 15 years ago. "Alcohol had always been a part of my life; I did have an alcohol problem at an early age," Williams said. But it was drugs that ruined his radio career in 1993. "I started snorting cocaine and then I started smoking it, the crack and all of that."
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Williams said that he's turned his life around and has God in his life. "The difference between my successes of years gone by is that I didn't acknowledge the Lord or thank him for anything before," he said. "This time around, I have God in my life, acknowledging him on a daily basis. I've found a new sense of spirituality now."
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