Ted Williams, called the man with the golden voice, returns to his hometown on a wave of media attention and reunites with his mother for the first time in 10 years. INSIDE EDITION has the touching story.
"I had no idea any of this would transpire as big as it has!" says Ted Williams.
Even the man with the golden voice can't find the words to explain his sudden worldwide fame...how he went from being homeless on a highway to cruising at 30,000 feet with INSIDE EDITION!
Ted is the talk of the town in New York City.
INSIDE EDITION caught up with the person who matters most to Ted...his 90-year-old mother, Julia Williams.
"I'm so glad that he got his life together," Julia said.
Mother and son haven't seen each other for ten years and Julia says it broke her heart to see Ted begging for money on the highway.
"When I saw the sign, that's when I just went all to pieces," she told INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent.
A tearful Ted told The Early Show about his hopes to make his mom proud.
"One of my biggest prayers that I sent out was that she would live long enough to see me rebound," Williams said.
Ted speaks forthrightly about his troubled past. He's a convicted felon who has been arrested numerous times for a variety of non-violent crimes including drug possession and theft.
Just two months ago, he was issued a ticket for soliciting money. His address was listed simply as "Streets of Columbus" and there are three outstanding warrants for his arrest for failing to appear in court to pay the fines.
Ted's story of redemption is being embraced by the entire nation and he's being bombarded with offers for voiceover work.
His mother is cautiously optimistic about his future.
"Do you think he's on the straight and narrow now?" Les Trent asks her.
"I hope so. But he's weak. I'm a strong person, you can't talk me into nothing, but him, he tries to go along with friends," said Julia.
Psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Gardere says there are perils for someone achieving sudden fame, especially for a person with a history of substance abuse.
"I think it's fantastic that his mother is voicing concerns about the possibility of him being exposed to drugs and alcohol in his newfound fame, newfound life," says Dr. Gardere. "I am so happy that he's getting these offers, that he's getting a second chance, but, at the same time, everything is happening rapidly, so quickly for him, so he's got to be really careful that it's not too much, too soon."
"Do you think you're done with your homeless days?" Trent asked Ted.
"Yes. Well, no. I mean...one day at a time!" he said.
First up for Ted Williams is a voiceover for a Kraft macaroni and cheese commercial, which will air on ESPN on January 9th.
