Not all that shines is silver and gold, but in this particular case it is the gold that has shone through! Ted Williams, better known as ‘The Golden Voice’, is exactly the man we are talking about!
He climbed the ladder of voiceover success, and might we add that considering the circumstances in which he made it big, this was no step stool!
So what exactly did he do to make it big? How did he jump from homelessness to Hollywood in just one year? Well to quote Shakespeare, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em. “ and in this case Ted Williams was born with a voice that raised the eyebrows of a nation! During a middle school field trip, at age 14 a radio host from WVKO in Ohio inspired him to look deeper into the power of his voice after, quote, “he looked nothing how I imagined”. He was dedicated to the voiceover and radio world and he always knew he had the voice of an angel.
Ted Williams has several counts of theft, escape and drug abuse on his record. At the time of his discovery he was in fact, homeless and after a life led of destroyed hopes and giving up, his childhood dream became a reality. It all began with a piece of scrap cardboard, where written:
“ I have a God given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. PLEASE! Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Thank you and God bless you / Happy Holidays”
Like the successful Justin Bieber, YouTube was the ticket to becoming discovered. A bystander saw him standing on the side of the road for days and decided to understand what he was all about! He asked Williams to give him an example of what he could do, and the result was awe-inspiring! The video went viral with approx. 25,000,000 views; people couldn’t help but beg for his voice!
A life led downhill has landed him at the top! Some of you are probably scrunching your eyebrows right now thinking, how is that possible?! As fate comes along, all things in life crumble down to the right time and the right place, and this guy did exactly that… but let’s not forget what actually caught our attention; his voice!
So after his discovery, where is he now? After a new haircut and wardrobe you probably now know his voice from the Kraft Mac n’ Cheese TV advertisement, but he has expanded further!
He is the author of the book A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation (Gotham Books, May 10, 2012) , he has recently started a foundation for the homeless and has landed many huge VO gigs.
Here’s a list from Wikipedia of his VO works
- Today, January 6, 2011 (Lead in)[19]
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, January 6, 2011[37]
- The Rachel Maddow Show, January 6, 2011[38]
- MSNBC’s “Lean Forward” campaign, January 6, 2011
- Kraft’s “You Know You Love It: Dad’s in the Doghouse” Macaroni and Cheese campaign, January 7, 2011
- Dr. Phil, January 11–12, 2011
- The Soup, January 14, 2011
- The Dish, January 16, 2011
The jump from starvation to salvation has been a lot to take in for Williams, but after a few months to let things sink in and a lot of great opportunities lined up for him he is now considered by some one of the most inspirational VO artists in the industry.
So on the road to being discovered, whether born with the VO talent or have worked hard to get it, there is always an opportunity for anybody with a will and a way! So go out there, be bold and market your talents… even if that means grabbing a pen and scrap cardboard yourself!
Behind the scenes recording with Ted Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SH79uP8Hgg&feature=endscreen
How do you feel about his success and what he is doing now? Do you find his story captivating or something of pure luck? Let us know below!
Is Ted Williams an isolated case? I’m sure there are scores of human stories probably not as impressive, but certainly inspiring. People with dull lives or dull jobs and then little but little using their innate talent of voice acting getting into a more fulfilling life. If you know cases like these, we appreciate very much you sharing them below!
While I am not living on the streets, I started voice overs after being laid off and in debt. A home,wife,2 children and am education didnt keep me from being laid off from my job of 15 years. That also didnt stop me from trying to make a name for myself in this competitive career.
I cashed out my 401K to buy equipment and pay bills to keep us afloat to follow my dream. I don’t have money for coaching or a real demo but I do find some work. Buffalo NY is no place to find work let alone “Break Out” into the world of voice overs but that doesnt keep me from trying. My wife hates it and my kids laugh at my voices but it is what I love to do.
I am still looking for a “real job” while I do ride this crazy train but the economy isnt helping me. Not looking for pity, Im a fighter and optimist.
I have always loved voice overs and I am finally chasing that dream. Maybe I would get big jobs if I stand by the freeway with a sign? Just kidding, I would like to hear other stories!
Fascinating. Hey publish your website and demos here. I just listened to them and they are terrific !
Holy Crap – Thank you for the replies. I never really expected anyone to read this. I have spent the last of my money on websites, I post on twitter mull around looking for work. Mostly Fiverr, I have done a few localized commercials and web sales. I keep plugging away looking for that break! Good for Ted, I am never bitter for anyones success.
Anyone need a voice? Look for Uglydork from Buffalo!
If you’re in Buffalo, check out Dan Lenard for home studio setup (and his East-West Audio Body Shop podcast) and Peter O’Connell. Both are local to Buffalo and are tremendous resources. Peter won’t BS you in the least when it comes to what it’s really going to take to make your mark in the industry. (HINT: Fiverr ain’t it).
Best of luck and keep at it!
Don’t wait or look for that “break”. Just keep working. Marketing is the KEY. These days you can send emails with links to your demo or small samples of your work. LinkedIn is great. Spend 30-60 minutes a day marketing. But don’t be surprised if you don’t get any responses right away. Sometimes it takes awhile. Keep the faith.
KEEP POSTING! Great unique voice! Although Buffalo NY may not be the top of the totem pole for VO talent search, just keep posting and spreading your name across the internet…the internet needs good voices! Read more DirectVoices articles! Some give useful advice on how to get running on the internet 🙂
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I live in Columbus and knew Ted from when HE was at WVKO and I was at a competing station.
I never knew anyone who wasn’t cheering for the guy. He was extraordinarily nice then and I am glad he is getting his life back together.
My road to VO was a bit of a surprise. I was in radio for nearly 20 years but never really had a passion to to the production side of things. I always excelled at promotions, marketing and that sort of thing. When my wife and I adopted our sons, one is ill and I needed to be able to work ANYTIME from ANYWHERE because we are often on the road at various appointments. A friend of mine, Bill DeWees encouraged me to explore VO.
After three months of doing voice over I was generating enough revenue to take care of my family and also be present for the various appointments. I cannot think of any other vocation that would allow me to juggle all these tasks. PLEASE DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND, it has not been easy, it has meant a lot of effort and very little sleep.
I never would have chosen to go into VO but here I am, grateful for every opportunity.
I love when people tell Ted’s story!
Thanks.
Thanks for writing this.
I’ve had many people tell me I’m “better than that Ted guy”.
And I think it is great that a great voice got a chance. Wish it be happen to all of us.
It get discouraging and this article is an inspiration to me. So thank you again.
Jay Beacham
Thanks Jay for your positive feedback. Please share a sample from your voice here or just paste the link to your audio.
Regards
Ted’s story is truly amazing and inspirational, to say the least. It again drives home the fact that for anyone who has the courage to pick up the pieces, dust the past off their backs and stand up with humble faithand step upto life then life always comes back to you with another chance. God bless Ted for having the courage to do what he did for by his act he has set in motion far more ripples of inspiration, growth and success tin the lives of so many others than he will ever come to be aware of in his lifetime.
Constant Change liked this on Facebook.
It’s great that this guy was able to turn his life around in this manner. I don’t wish any ill will towards Mr. Williams in any way… BUT… Let’s be honest here. He doesn’t sound any different from tens of thousands of other voiceover talent who struggle daily to make ends meet. Simply put, the “method of discovery” is what made all of the difference for him. It isn’t as if his was the best voice the world had ever heard.
Companies like Kraft jumped on him to put themselves into a better light with consumers. by helping the worlds most popular homeless man. It was a marketing ploy and nothing else. Otherwise, he would still be doing their spots today. It was simply an exploit to help them wedge into the viewfinder with Bleeding-Heart America.
I DO wish him success and happiness, but there are those of us who have been struggling to scrape by for years in this industry. With 4 kids, a wife in college and new people jumping on the “Voiceover Bandwagon” every single day, it is a bit frustrating to watch others be hand-fed the opportunity of a lifetime and then to do nothing with it. Where is he now?