Ted Williams is a former homeless man who gained national attention for his “golden voice” in 2011
He used his deep, smooth, and distinctive voice to beg for money on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. A video of Williams demonstrating his voice and telling his story went viral on YouTube, leading to numerous offers of employment and media appearances.
After his viral video, Williams was offered a job by the Cleveland Cavaliers to announce games and appeared on numerous talk shows, including "The Today Show," "Dr. Phil" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." He also did voiceover work for various commercials, TV shows, and video games.
After the initial whirlwind of TV appearances and on-air interviews, the recovering alcoholic started drinking again. Talk show host Dr. Phil helped send him to a drug rehab facility, but Williams left after 12 days.
Over the next two years, he worked various voice-over jobs, becoming the voice of the New England Cable News Network. Williams stayed in the spotlight with some interviews, including on the Today Show in May 2012 when he announced that he had been sober for over a year.
Williams is no longer homeless. He is the voice of a new film called 'Houseless' about the harsh realities of living on the streets.
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The phenomenon of sudden fame experienced by Ted Williams has historical parallels in the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, an American socialite and amateur soprano who became famous, or rather infamous, in the early 20th century.
Jenkins was born in 1868 and had a deep passion for opera, although her vocal abilities were objectively poor. She founded her performances and initially sang at private clubs, often to supportive audiences who may not have wanted to bruise her ego. Her story reached an intriguing climax in 1944 when she booked Carnegie Hall for a public performance.
The event sold out, primarily because people were curious, or wanted to witness what they perceived as a "train wreck" of a performance. The event was covered widely by the media, turning Jenkins into an overnight sensation for all the wrong, or arguably right, reasons depending on one's perspective. Although she passed away just a month after the Carnegie Hall performance, her story remains an early example of how media attention can rapidly elevate someone from obscurity to the public eye, regardless of the nature of their talent.
Both Williams and Jenkins had unique gifts that captured the public imagination, albeit in very different ways, and their stories show how fame can be both sudden and transformative.
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