A Golden Voice, Ted Williams
A Golden Voice, Ted Williams
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A Golden Voice
How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation

Author: Ted Williams

Narrator: Andy Williams

Unabridged: 4 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 05/10/2012


Synopsis

YouTube sensation Ted William's memoir of addiction, homelessness, and unlikely redemption, cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Bret Witter

Ted Williams was panhandling in December 2010 when a passerby taped him and posted a clip of his gorgeous radio voice on YouTube. The video went viral, and overnight, launched him--”the homeless man with a golden voice”--into the hearts of millions.

Since then, millions have heard pieces of his story: his successful radio career, his crack addiction, his multiple arrests, and his heartbreaking relationship with his ninety-year-old mother. But in A Golden Voice, Ted Williams finally puts all the pieces together to give an unforgettable, searingly honest account of life on the streets. Nothing is held back, as Williams takes the reader through prostitution, theft, crack houses, and homeless shelters in a search, ultimately, for redemption and hope. Along the way, we see his relationship with his long-term girlfriend, Kathy, grow into an unlikely and inspiring love story, and we hear the Golden Voice of God lead Ted from the selfishness of crime to the humility of the street corner--almost a year before he was discovered--on that highway entrance ramp.

But this memoir isn't just an exploration of wrongs and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to give homelessness a voice. It is a deeply American, from-the-heart comeback story about the power of hope, faith, and personal responsibility. With the innate charisma that has won him millions of fans, Ted Williams proves that no one, no matter how degraded, is too lost for a second chance.

About The Author

Ted Williams, known as "The Man With the Golden Voice," grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and was once the #1 drive-time DJ in Columbus, Ohio. Due to drug and alcohol addiction, he eventually lost his job and spent 17 years homeless on the streets of Columbus. After achieving viral fame, Williams got clean and is back on the airwaves, doing voiceover work for the likes of Kraft, Pepsi, and MSNBC, among others. He now cohosts a radio show, WVKO-AM Columbus's "The Golden Voice Show" with Scott Anthony.Andy Williams was one of the world's best-loved vocalists and entertainers since he began his professional career more than 70 years ago. Known as the King of Hearts, the Emperor of Easy, and Mr. Moon River, he divided his time between La Quinta, California, and Branson, Missouri. Williams died in 2012 at the age of 84, and over his career recorded 42 studio albums. His memoir is called Moon River and Me.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Diane

Most of you know that I have some seriously mixed feelings on this one. BUT, if I had not met him, I would LOVE this book. There are contradictions along the way that make you say whoooaaaaa Ted....you just said you were not violent but you have hit or injured your girlfriend three times in the book......more

Possibly the most honest memoir I've ever read, in terms of not shrinking away from admitting to reprehensible behaviors... you may hate Mr. Williams after reading this book (I didn't), but it will open your eyes to just how much of a struggle it can be to fight an addiction. For all of us who are a......more

Goodreads review by Gary

This is a real tough read. The story of Ted Williams is harsh in the sense that he admittedly, does not come off as a nice man. Having said that, his story of redemption is one that everyone should read. If you don't believe in someone deserving a second chance (or third or fourth chance), this book......more

Goodreads review by Gary

Much of this was a tough read for me, not because of the writing but because of Williams' life. I had to skim & skip many sections where he made such a mess of his life, stealing food, stealing things to sell, ignoring his mother, his kids & nearly everyone else in his life while his only goal was t......more


Quotes

“In stark, unflinching terms, Williams, with assistance from Witter, tells the story of how he won and lost his own version of the American dream, describing his crippling addiction through often uncomfortably graphic episodes of utter degeneration and despair.”
Booklist

“Those who followed last year’s media accounts of his struggles will appreciate the insights and brutal honesty expressed in this powerful career comeback story.”

Publishers Weekly