Homeless Guy with the Golden Radio Voice

[homer]

I'm sure many of you have seen this but in case you haven't....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTysXITBCmk

 

And a follow up on CBS Morning Show:

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/vi...p;tag=related;photovideo

 

Apparently the Cavs are hiring this guy to do voice over work.

[Patrick425]

That is a great story. Kind of along the lines of "The Pursuit of Happiness", except it sounds like this guy had a previous career in his profession.

 

I'm guessing there are lots of homeless people that were former "professionals", but have fallen upon hard times and now find it hard for anyone to give them a second chance.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, sounds like he has opportunities coming out the woodwork now because of Youtube, etc. Good for him. He admitted he fell on hard times due to drugs and alcohol, but said he's been clean for two years. Will be nice to see if he can get back on his feet.

[logan82]

Is it wrong that when I heard homeless and radio that my first thought was Joe Dirt?

[homer]

Is it wrong that when I heard homeless and radio that my first thought was Joe Dirt?

No, because my second thought was "I wonder when someone's going to make an auto tune song out of this?"

[Warning Track Power]

I'm not too proud to say I was choking back some tears at work after watching the CBS interview when he discussed showing his 90 year old mom "he did it" i.e. picking himself up after falling into some dark times. Great story.

[And That]

Amazing story.

 

I have to admit that I was skeptical that the original Youtube video wasn't a voiceover.

[homer]

I don't know why but I'm kind of obsessed with this story.

 

The guy has indeed been hired by the Cavs and apparently NFL films is interested too. The original YouTube clip is at almost 9 million views since it was posted on Monday. (I think it was at 4million when I opened this thread this afternoon)

 

Here's the job offer from the Cavs made live on Columbus radio:

 

http://www.youtube.com/wa...GbE&feature=youtu.be

 

it's at the 4:27 mark.

[crewcrazy]

Here is the first commercial he did for Kraft Mac 'n Cheese:

 

 

Truly a great story, especially with so many people struggling these days. It just goes to show that you never know when things could turn around.

[homer]

I saw video of the guy reuniting with his mom. It was a little disturbing because he kept calling her "mommy" but it was pretty touching.

 

To think the guy was panhandling on Sunday and did VO for a national commercial on Friday is unreal. I hope the guy can keep it together though all of this.

[burnzy24]

One of the things that struck me the most about the initial video was the genuine remorse he shows when he mentions his past drug and alcohol abuse. Also when I heard his voice for the first time I thought it was fake. These are the types of stories that I love and that guy who did the initial report must feel so good that he helped to turn this man's life around.

[Point Beer Is Best]

I hope he turns his life around, but it's a little disturbing how little attention the fact that he abandoned his NINE children is getting.

[LouisEly]

One of the things that struck me the most about the initial video was the genuine remorse he shows when he mentions his past drug and alcohol abuse. Also when I heard his voice for the first time I thought it was fake. These are the types of stories that I love and that guy who did the initial report must feel so good that he helped to turn this man's life around.

The thing that struck me the most was that one of the first things his mother said to him was, "Don't disappoint me." It good for people to get their life back together, however that statement speaks volumes about the choices he made in life. The biggest cause of homelessness is drugs.

[greeg35]

The biggest cause of homelessness is drugs.

I don't know if you have numbers/studies to back that up; but I would have thought the number one cause was mental illness. Maybe a chicken or the egg thing....or maybe I'm just wrong.

[Patrick425]

I always thought the main cause of homlessness was not having a job.

[Brewtacular]

I always thought the main cause of homlessness was not having a job.

I always thought the main cause of homelessness was not having a home!

[Invader3K]

It's all related. There are people who life just "kicks in the teeth" repeatedly that end of homeless. Statistically the biggest causes are mental illness and drug/alcohol abuse, though.

[LouisEly]

And some of the mental illness is caused by drugs.

[dadofandrew]

I've seen several studies that drug test the homeless and 75-80% are usually positive for drugs/alcohol. Most have a problem, and for many, it's substance abuse. Of the other 20%+, I'd guess most are mentally unbalanced.

[homer]

I hope he turns his life around, but it's a little disturbing how little attention the fact that he abandoned his NINE children is getting.

Do we know he abandoned them? From what I've heard he lived with them from time to time during his homeless days.

[GAME05]

i'm no expert, but i'd imagine it might be worse on the kids to have an alcoholic, drug-addicted father at home than him gone. it reminds me of seeing Ozzie Osbourne telling his kids not to do drugs. "Don't do drugs. Are you crazy? Look what it did to me!"

 

not surprising the abandonment doesn't get much play. i don't want my feel-good stories to have an asterisk.

[homer]

Apparently he's headed to rehab. His kids claim he's been drinking every day and that he really isn't clean and sober. Yikes.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't understand the hubbub about this guy. He's got a decent voice for voiceovers, but every market has at least one or two of these guys. It's not like he's some kind of savant or anything because he worked in the business before. I will say that he shouldn't have taken the quick bucks from Dr. Phil, because he's looking pretty bad to me. At best a deadbeat dad and a liar who claimed in 'the video' that he's been sober for two years. Consider my heart unwarmed.