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A Bespectacled Ted Williams Vows Sobriety
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 9, 2011
Modified Feb 9, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 9, 2011
Modified Feb 9, 2011
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The man with the Golden Voice, Ted Williams, got a second chance earlier this year when a video of him showcasing his radio voice went viral. At the time Williams was living on the side of a highway in Ohio, but he quickly ended up sitting on plush couches across from the likes of Matt Lauer on the Today show. Unfortunately, the change was fast and sent Williams running back to his old friends, drugs and alcohol. Dr. Phil eventually convinced him to enter rehab, but Williams quickly checked himself out. And now, he says he's started a new, sober chapter of his life. He wears glasses now, so he's definitely serious about it this time.
This morning he appeared on The Early Show and promised his troubles with drinking and family members are "behind me." You can watch the full interview below, in which he says he opted for rehab too early; "That was probably a very rushed decision. It was too much, too fast, and I was just not really focused on what I should be doing." Williams was doing phone interviews from rehab, instead of focusing on his recovery. Thankfully, America is still rallying around him with support, and he still has job offers on the table.
Williams has also set up a Second Chance Foundation, and currently has items from his homeless life for sale on eBay. Earnings from the auctions will go towards the group, which was created to give talented people "a hand up and not a hand out." However, his tent seems to have been put up on eBay by someone else (though perhaps this is just the tarp).
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Ted Williams
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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