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A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation
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.
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.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 28, 2012
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 alone. You say your drug of choice is alcohol but you spend ninety percent of the time talking about crack. You say your "bottom" was when Kathy asked you to have sex with a man and yet you continued to use, steal, manipulate and coerce others for years before you were "discovered".
Even after I had given up on liking you, you managed to pull it all together in the epilogue. Of course, you also sound like you have made peace with the whole Dr. Phil thing when I know from hearing you a week ago you have not.
Still a good read. Thinking the best for you, but I am seriously conflicted about your ability to have long term success.
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 alone. You say your drug of choice is alcohol but you spend ninety percent of the time talking about crack. You say your "bottom" was when Kathy asked you to have sex with a man and yet you continued to use, steal, manipulate and coerce others for years before you were "discovered".
Even after I had given up on liking you, you managed to pull it all together in the epilogue. Of course, you also sound like you have made peace with the whole Dr. Phil thing when I know from hearing you a week ago you have not.
Still a good read. Thinking the best for you, but I am seriously conflicted about your ability to have long term success.
April 14, 2012
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 addicts (I smoke cigarettes and have tried to quit many times), this is a valuable reminder of what an enlarged perspective/faith can provide, as well as a call to be compassionate to everyone, since we all have our own inner struggles with pride and selfishness versus humility and gratefulness for our blessings. Definitely a recommended read.
October 24, 2015
This man made news a few years ago when he was "discovered" soliciting for money at an interstate exit in Columbus, Ohio. A youtube video of him demonstrating his 'golden voice" was viewed so often the Today Show flew him to New York. He experienced a whirlwind of television interviews including Dr. Phil who offered to help him get sober.
Most of this book is Ted's story before youtube made him famous. He started as an alcoholic but one hit of crack really gripped him.
Life wasn't hearts and roses after Today and Dr. Phil, but I believe he has stayed sober for a number of years since then. Mr. Williams has a melodious voice that he uses well in narrating his book. I was disappointed with two things. One, the book is an abridgment. Two, Mr. Williams preaches his commitment to Jesus throughout the book even when he was strung out. I pray he has found a true sense of peace and spirituality in his sober life.
Most of this book is Ted's story before youtube made him famous. He started as an alcoholic but one hit of crack really gripped him.
Life wasn't hearts and roses after Today and Dr. Phil, but I believe he has stayed sober for a number of years since then. Mr. Williams has a melodious voice that he uses well in narrating his book. I was disappointed with two things. One, the book is an abridgment. Two, Mr. Williams preaches his commitment to Jesus throughout the book even when he was strung out. I pray he has found a true sense of peace and spirituality in his sober life.
May 24, 2012
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 WILL change your mind. It is a very inspiring book.
April 11, 2025
The author grew up in a “loving family” - as the author described. Growing up in a project in Brooklyn, he dreamed of being a voice actor. Eventually, his dream came true as he became a radio personality in Columbus, Ohio. As the author described his life back then, he was making more than enough money for themselves (albeit already had a divorce and one year in jail), then suddenly - he lost it all.
What happened? The author accredit his fall to lack of goal and drive. After accomplishing what he wanted to accomplish as a child, he felt lost in life and resorted to alcoholism - at first - then gradually slipped to various different kinds of drugs. His addiction obviously affected his job performance, leading him to quit the job eventually and spent all his days under the influence of drugs.
This is a rather difficult book to read at times. But just like the author described, a rather raw depiction of how a person could eventually slip to become an addict living on the streets.
What happened? The author accredit his fall to lack of goal and drive. After accomplishing what he wanted to accomplish as a child, he felt lost in life and resorted to alcoholism - at first - then gradually slipped to various different kinds of drugs. His addiction obviously affected his job performance, leading him to quit the job eventually and spent all his days under the influence of drugs.
This is a rather difficult book to read at times. But just like the author described, a rather raw depiction of how a person could eventually slip to become an addict living on the streets.
August 25, 2018
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 to get high on crack. Even when he finally got out of that, he soon went back into it. Certainly it's good when an addict does something to straighten out, but what about all those people he hurt along the way?
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December 25, 2018This is an interesting book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2014
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.
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.
August 20, 2012
Ted Williams was at one time a popular radio voice in Columbus Ohio. But he lost everything (kids, home, dignity) when he became a Crack Addict. Ted was panhaddling on a street corner when someone videotaped his still Golden Voice despite the years of abuse, "When your listening to the best of the oldies your listening to Magic 98.9." The driver put the clip on You Tube and Williams rocketed to fame. Within days he was plucked from the Street, on the Today Show, on Jay Leno, and had a new contract for Voice-over with Cleveland Cavaliers.
In a sense this is a desperately sad book, as it shares with brutal honesty what it is like to live as addict...Williams was a horrible..horrible man. Conning his mother for money, selling his own children's toys for crack money, eating the last 20 jars of baby food from his grandchild, protistuting out his girlfriend, using money for a plane ticket to his own father's funeral to buy more "rock."
Williams is a spirtual person and gave credit to Jesus..for the Crack he was about to smoke..but also for making him clean. I don't think this story ended with the fame Williams gained from the YouTube clip. Moments after being cleaned up and speaking with Jay Leno..he was cruising the streets of LA to find more Crack.
I'm a sucker for a good redemption story from homelessness to fame..and Williams got his second chance. I hope he remains clean..he won't likely get a third chance.
In a sense this is a desperately sad book, as it shares with brutal honesty what it is like to live as addict...Williams was a horrible..horrible man. Conning his mother for money, selling his own children's toys for crack money, eating the last 20 jars of baby food from his grandchild, protistuting out his girlfriend, using money for a plane ticket to his own father's funeral to buy more "rock."
Williams is a spirtual person and gave credit to Jesus..for the Crack he was about to smoke..but also for making him clean. I don't think this story ended with the fame Williams gained from the YouTube clip. Moments after being cleaned up and speaking with Jay Leno..he was cruising the streets of LA to find more Crack.
I'm a sucker for a good redemption story from homelessness to fame..and Williams got his second chance. I hope he remains clean..he won't likely get a third chance.
September 25, 2012
I skipped the prologue to A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation by Ted Williams with Bret Witter, and read it the book in one day.
Readers get a glimpse into life in a homeless shelter: "If you wanted to keep anything, even a photograph, you stuffed it in a bag and slept on it as your pillow. You slept on your shoes, too, or someone would steal them off your feet."
After twenty years of smoking crack cocaine daily ~ he and his lady friend, Kathy, spent tens of thousands of dollars yearly on their habit, mainly stolen money or sale of shoplifted goods, her prostitution and ripping off John's, it seems an impossible dream that they would achieve a lifetime of clean, sober living ~ off the streets.
Ted says: "...I'm not fooling myself. Not this time. I've made it this far, but I still have a long way to go." He also says, "I wasn't cured. No addict is ever cured." I hope he does remain clean and sober for the rest of his days.
The story is meant to inspire. A photo caption reads: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." The caption ends: "...and if my broken addict's heart can change, then salvation is within anybody's grasp."
Salvation refers to Ted's Christianity ~ but the message of overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles (such as ending an addiction) can apply to anyone.
Readers get a glimpse into life in a homeless shelter: "If you wanted to keep anything, even a photograph, you stuffed it in a bag and slept on it as your pillow. You slept on your shoes, too, or someone would steal them off your feet."
After twenty years of smoking crack cocaine daily ~ he and his lady friend, Kathy, spent tens of thousands of dollars yearly on their habit, mainly stolen money or sale of shoplifted goods, her prostitution and ripping off John's, it seems an impossible dream that they would achieve a lifetime of clean, sober living ~ off the streets.
Ted says: "...I'm not fooling myself. Not this time. I've made it this far, but I still have a long way to go." He also says, "I wasn't cured. No addict is ever cured." I hope he does remain clean and sober for the rest of his days.
The story is meant to inspire. A photo caption reads: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." The caption ends: "...and if my broken addict's heart can change, then salvation is within anybody's grasp."
Salvation refers to Ted's Christianity ~ but the message of overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles (such as ending an addiction) can apply to anyone.
May 27, 2023
Wow, this book just kept getting more shocking - babies being given away, not liking your own race, not feeding babies and stuffing rags in their mouths, taking back their food, smoking crack while you have your kids at the park, deplorable shelters, and on and on. Who am I to say that god didn’t tell him to beg but I kinda of feel like at that point in his life he had no choice, anyway, hope he stays clean and can use all his experience in a way to help other addicts
July 8, 2012
After all of the heavy reading I have done recently, I picked this book up as something light. That was a mistake. The riches to rags to riches story Williams tells is compelling, especially the parts that were not revealed during his YouTube-fueled rise to stardom. And I always enjoy a story that relies heavily on the theme of reconciliation. But this is a very emotionally heavy book. I appreciate the dose of reality, the reminder that that media-centric happy endings are often pure fabrications. But with perhaps 80 percent of the book devoted to the details of his drug-induced downfall, he may have overplayed those reminders. I wanted to read more about how his sudden and fleeting fame impacted him and his family, but he passes by this subject too quickly.
June 28, 2014
This memoir is an interesting read.
It gives one a better understanding of what life is like for people living on the streets as a result of their own devices or through no fault of their own, what motivates them to survive, and what hinders their return to normalcy.
And although it's been three years since his rediscovery, and two years since the book was published, I couldn't help wondering while I read it if Ted really has beaten his addiction problem or is this book, like his radio career, going to be just another vehicle of success that he will stumble over only to fall back into the abyss of addiction.
It gives one a better understanding of what life is like for people living on the streets as a result of their own devices or through no fault of their own, what motivates them to survive, and what hinders their return to normalcy.
And although it's been three years since his rediscovery, and two years since the book was published, I couldn't help wondering while I read it if Ted really has beaten his addiction problem or is this book, like his radio career, going to be just another vehicle of success that he will stumble over only to fall back into the abyss of addiction.
April 21, 2015
I puzzled over this book at times because it was hard to follow the logic of the author. "Being clean" seems to mean something different other than "sober."w And yes, there are some inconsistencies such as when Williams claims he is not a "violent" man but describes how he slaps his girlfriend to the ground. If there is such a thing as an addictive personality, I think Williams may be an example.
I happened to see the Dr. Phil show on which Mr. Williams was interviewed/ambushed and I was appalled at the manner in which Mr. Williams was treated. It was perhaps the first time I had seen the condescending, arrogant, bullying side of Dr. Phil. But then, that's another book altogether.
I happened to see the Dr. Phil show on which Mr. Williams was interviewed/ambushed and I was appalled at the manner in which Mr. Williams was treated. It was perhaps the first time I had seen the condescending, arrogant, bullying side of Dr. Phil. But then, that's another book altogether.
June 19, 2016
I was inspired to read this by a video my boyfriend pulled up on Youtube. Sparked my interest. This was very well written. Frustrated me at bit with the way they got the funds for their habit and the things they did to good people. I pulled up videos about the latest on Ted and Kathy and if they use their life experiences to help others then I am thankful they survived. My heart goes out to all of the family members and friends of anyone who has to deal with this type of situation. God loves and forgives.
May 6, 2013
This is the story of one man's spiraling descent into addiction and his resulting homelessness, despair and misery. He goes on a twenty-year quest in search of that "glorious" high delivered by his first hit of crack cocaine which, of course, he never finds. I thought it was a well written tale and hard to put down; it had me counting my blessings for being lucky enough to have avoided such a deadly path in my own life.
June 27, 2012
This is not a great book. Everyone loves a good comeback story, but you have to slog through 200+ pages of crack-smoking description to get to the redemption in this book, and even that is anti-climactic. I am thrilled for this man that he is no longer on the streets, but the book was not one of my favorites.
August 4, 2013
I read this book about 2 weeks ago. It is a true story of a man addicted to crack cocaine and how his addiction led him down a path of lost jobs, relationships, homelessness and family. This is not a pretty story but it is reality to anyone suffering because of their addiction. Highly recommend reading it if interested in learning the effects of this lifestyle.
July 21, 2012
Eric Harding, mentioned in the book, is Ted Williams sobriety coach and a personal friend of mine. This book was written with blunt honesty and now I have some insight as to the lives of people with substance addiction and their co-dependence on others.
March 22, 2016
Unfortunately I did not feel that Mr. Williams has found redemption as yet. He still appears to have a tough journey ahead of him.
September 10, 2012
This book is compelling but hard to read. Ted Williams has a special gift, a golden voice, that made it through more than 20 years of alcohol and crack addiction.
January 6, 2013
It was good reading. The man had a serious addiction. I am surprised he even lived this long. What a terrible existence! I can only thank God I never had to live like that.
March 26, 2013
Fascinating read!!!
January 11, 2016
Educational view of one man's path from success to destruction to redemption through desire, drugs, and rehabilitation. Worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews