Homeless Man with Golden Voice Get's 2nd Chance

Papa Tom said:

>>>>Sadly, I know many men who have similar voices (I'm in the radio business) who never did drugs, never ran away from their family and children, and can't get decent jobs in radio. This guy has a good voice, and deserves a second chance, but I don't know how much he deserves the huge amount of money he's purportedly making now.<<<<

THANK YOU so much for finally saying that, Alan. I've been watching this thread from the wings for a few days, biting my tongue not to chime in and risk being pounced on for not going with the general flow.

Let me qualify my opinion by stating that I, too, am involved with voice-over talent, having run a company that produces telephone "on-hold" programs for 27 years. My current talent roster includes TV and radio voices from all over the US, all of whom are ALWAYS looking for additional work. Interestingly, the male voices I'm having the hardest time trying to sell these days are the ones with the so-called "Voice of God," exemplified by Ted Williams, the formerly homeless guy getting all the attention. In fact, I receive an average of two calls per week from male announcers who sound just like Ted, all of whom are crawling all over each other to get a few of my dopey little $75 gigs. It's pretty hard to tell these guys who have trained their vocal chords for so many years that the majority of my clients prefer "average," non-polished voices these days.

Anyway, as you noted, these voice talents have stayed in the game for decades, relentlessly pounding the pavement for work, even when they had steady gigs on radio or TV. They have been able to maintain a fairly decent quality of life by being responsible, being on time for work, and always being in top-notch form when called upon to voice a spot.

Now, having been very closely involved with a number of alcoholics and drug addicts throughout my life, I absolutely understand that addiction is an illness that deserves to be treated the same way cancer or any other disease would be. I do not look down upon addicts/alcoholics and I do not judge them to be inferior to anyone else. Ted Williams deserves a shot at being a successful voice-over actor...however, he does NOT deserve a BETTER shot at it than any of the millions of other voice-over actors who were waiting tables and singing at Bar Mitzvahs to survive while he was getting high and begging tourists for quarters.

The saddest part of this whole thing is that what many have called a "miracle" or "the generous, selfless acts of people in the media" amounts to no more than slick TV, radio, and Madison Avenue types latching on to this guy's story to boost ratings, tug at the heartstrings of viewers, and, perhaps, satisfy their 2011 quota for good deeds to offset their guilt for drawing such huge salaries while the streets are filled with people like Ted Williams. Make no mistake. There is NOTHING in this for Ted Williams as far as all the teary-eyed journalists on TV are concerned. In fact, I wouldn't doubt that the same people who get all misty on camera when telling his story go home and curse him out to their spouses because he's suddenly getting some of the most coveted voice-over work in the world.

The other very sad part of this is that we're once again pounding our children and grandchildren with the message that success, fame, and riches are all about creating havoc, stirring controversy, and making people feel sorry for you. It's American Idol all over again. You can be a mediocre talent, at best, but if your girlfriend left you the day of the audition, you got pregnant at 14 and have been raising a child working at McD's for ten years, or you're an ex-con just released from the slammer, people will vote for you and make you the next overnight sensation. Then they will drop you the minute someone sexier and potentially more of a troubled tabloid sensation comes along.

My hope for Ted Williams is that he doesn't become another Susan Boyle, because the fall from grace for an alcoholic/addict is much tougher than for you and I. Mostly, I hope he understands that NO ONE out there - not the talk show hosts, not the newscasters, and not the talent agencies - has his best interests as their priority.

Again, please do not interpret this as homeless bashing or any kind of judgment about where this man has been. My fury comes from watching people skyrocket to fame and fortune over the years, not because they have perfected their craft, but because they make for juicy gossip. Wait'll you see what the tabloids do to Ted Williams over the next few weeks...

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