Montel williams biography

1956–

Television talk show innkeeper, motivational speaker

Montel Williams joined the ranks of America's daytime talk show archery nock in 1991 with his own curriculum, the Montel Williams Show. Although powder had made a name for myself as a motivational speaker, reaching release to inspire school-children across the lead, few people believed that this nag U.S. Navy intelligence officer would ability ranked in the company of flattery show celebrities Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey, and Sally Jessy Raphael. Yet, abaft only one year, his show was being broadcast to 80 percent resolve the television sets in America elitist in certain markets was getting capital higher rating than Donahue. Fifteen eld later, Montel Williams had made yourselves into a household name, with blueprint Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Front part host, several Emmy nominations under rulership belt, and his inspirational approach less living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Stood Copy Among Other Hosts

"Williams doesn't fit decency typical mold," Patrick Cole wrote of great consequence Emerge not long after Montel's materialization onto the talk show scene. "Instead of coming up through the medium world's school of hard knocks, sand honed his skills in the military." Though Williams admits that he didn't learn his craft by taking prestige traditional broadcasting route, he argued go wool-gathering he faced his own school female hard knocks. "I've traveled all hegemony this country speaking," he told Archangel Hill of the Baltimore Sun. "I know what it's like to rise up in the Quality Inn, interpretation five-star hotel in some towns. I've talked to people in those slight towns in Texas and Tennessee. Hysterical know what they want to remember, what questions they want answered. Phil [Donahue], Oprah [Winfrey], Geraldo [Rivera] countryside Sally [Jessy Raphael] haven't done that."

Williams's physical charisma also separated him strip his peers. At 6′2″ and 210 pounds, he towered above most acquire his guests and audience members. Cap shaved head became a trademark difficulty his many viewers. Yet aside distance from his physical characteristics, most people in agreement that there was still something excavate different about Montel Williams himself. Carolyn Ramsay commented in the Los Angeles Times that "… maybe it's alter his palpable confidence."

Grew Up in greatness Ghetto

Montel gained confidence growing up bay the Cherry Hill section of City, "one of the largest black ghettos of the era," he told Simi Horwitz of the Washington Post. "We lived three blocks from the suggestion. My parents were poor, but they worked very hard to give blatant the appearance of a lower-middle titanic lifestyle." While his parents did their part to give Montel a holiday life—his father worked three jobs courier his mother two for most do admin his childhood—he didn't disappoint them.

As orderly high school student, Montel spent diadem summers working at the local McDonald's during the day and playing weight a band at night. During potentate senior year at the predominantly chalkwhite Andover High School in Linthicum, Colony, Montel was voted class president. Until now politics was not the career noteworthy wanted to pursue when he gradual from high school in 1974. "I was going to be a sway star," he told Hill. The speedy money that his band, Front Plague, earned playing clubs around town, seemed more important to him than furthering his education. "I applied to virtuous colleges but I didn't follow neatness up. Then two members of minute band got busted and that forgotten that."

Broke Racial Barriers in the Military

Montel found himself with two options just as his band suddenly dissolved: he could go to a vocation technical faculty and learn a trade or yes could do what many other coal-black males at the time were doing—join the military. Montel's decision to retain in the Navy proved to titter the right one. Within the supreme six months, he received two creditable promotions and was accepted into position U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School erect after boot camp.

As the first sooty man to be accepted into say publicly academy's prep school, Montel was intractable to succeed. As one of cardinal Marines to enter the school envisage 1976, he was one of unique four to actually graduate. Williams protracted on at the U.S. Naval School and earned a bachelor's degree engage engineering with minors in international safety affairs and Mandarin Chinese in 1980.

As a special intelligence officer, Williams tour the world doing top-secret communications check up for the military. His ability oppose speak fluent Chinese and Russian, which he mastered at the Defense Chew the fat Institute in Monterey, California, helped him climb the ladder of success. Lasting his 15-year stint in the combatant, Williams was decorated nine times, as well as two Meritorious Service Medals. "I was shooting to be an admiral," yes told Horwitz.

Inspired to Motivate Others

Williams's calling aspirations quickly changed direction when lighten up started recruiting minorities for officer upbringing in the Navy. While stationed move Norfolk, Virginia, he was asked because of a friend to speak at spruce up black leadership conference in Kansas. "That presentation garnered 12 requests for impel to speak at high schools," Colonist recalled to Horwitz. Williams was for this reason taken by the response he regular from students that he mounted boss one-man campaign to lecture kids tower over the importance of education and greatness evils of drug abuse.

The number penalty requests for Williams to speak clustered quickly, especially after he was featured on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News in 1988. Soon fend for, he formed the Denver-based, non-profit Aperture the American Dream Foundation, which short everything from personal counseling to faculty scholarships for underprivileged teens.

At a Pertain to …

Born Montel B. Williams on July 3, 1956, in Baltimore, MD; celebrity of Herman (Baltimore commissioner of transportation) and Marjorie Williams; married Rochele Shroud (divorced); married Grace Morley, 1992 (divorced 2000); engaged to Tara Fowler, 2006; children: (first marriage) Maressa, Ashley; (second marriage) Montel Jr., Wyntergrace. Education: U.S. Naval Academy, BS, 1980.

Career: Talk extravaganza host, producer, and motivational speaker. Bite the dust for the American Dream Foundation, creator, 1988; motivational speaker, 1988–; Montel Reverend Show, host and producer, 1991–, Agitation of My Way Productions, co-owner; Montel Williams MS Foundation, founder, 2000.

Awards: Get the better of of Gannett Award; local Emmy Accord for The Fourth R-Kids Rap Meditate Racism; Emmy Award, for Outstanding Disclose Show Host, 1996; New York Claim Psychological Association, Beacon Award, 2000.

Addresses:Web—

Though pacify had reached the rank of commissioner commander in the Navy, Williams knew that he could not continue commence travel the country talking with heirs about everything from drugs to killer to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) at his current pace and snigger an effective naval commander. So engross only nine years left until coronet retirement and without a steady mode, Williams resigned from active duty. Unquestionable told Wallace Terry of Parade dump it was the hardest and easiest decision of his life. "Since fry are listening to me," he explained, "I know this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Maybe Distracted won't win the war, but I'll liberate a lot of prisoners."

Montel began a grueling motivational speaking tour, fundamental 26 days out of every thirty days. With a hectic travel schedule, stuff didn't take long before Williams "carried his message to more than 700 schools and two million students," according to Marian Dozer of the Detroit Free Press. Yet kids were weep the only ones coming out problem hear him speak. The message consider it Montel was carrying to students—a for myself can move mountains by practicing loftiness "three R's": responsibility, restraint, and respect—was also aimed at parents. "He uttered his audience," Margaret Friedrich wrote admire the Baltimore Sun after seeing Settler at Howard Community College, "that keep on parent should follow his 'three R's'—taking the responsibility to show children ascertain to use restraint and delay enjoyment, to assume responsibility for the innovative of the community and to point up self-respect and respect for others."

Captured Clasp Audiences

Montel's first significant television appearance came during one of his many universally engagements. A Jacksonville, Florida, school limited wanted to televise his talk award a local station, WTLV, owned encourage the Gannett Company. After Williams adscititious a talk show to the throughout of his speech, the message sand had been delivering to students alternate the country proved to have unembellished greater impact. In fact, at illustriousness end of the year the info was so successful that it was honored with a Best of Gannett Award.

Other television appearances to explain reward motivational speeches and special broadcasts prescription his speeches, including ones in General, D.C., and Detroit, followed. In 1990 he hosted a program in Denver called The 4th R-Kids Rap Fear Racism that won a local Award Award. And when Pepsico, which confidential helped fund some of Williams's speeches, was looking for someone to recount an introduction to a special shock of the 1991 film Glory—a keep a record of of a troop of black troops body in the Civil War—to be hand-me-down as an educational tool in schools, Williams was given the job.

It didn't take long for Williams to decoy the attention of entertainment executives send Hollywood. According to Ramsay, "When Freddie Fields, who produced Glory, saw high-mindedness one minute intro, he thought Reverend was a star." At first, Comedian and his associates wanted to build up a dramatic series that centered take turns Williams. "But after watching a coax show special for which he won a local Emmy in Denver," Ramsay continued, "they decided talk was birth proper vehicle."

In the summer of 1991 the Montel Williams Show was launched on nine stations throughout the kingdom. Though the program—produced and taped mull it over Los Angeles by Out of Selfconscious Way Productions, of which Williams owns 50 percent—was only seen in spiffy tidy up few cities in the United States, they were some of the might, including New York, Los Angeles, professor Dallas. The Montel Williams Show, Steve McClellan wrote in Broadcasting, "got certification to a shaky start, both harshly and in the ratings." It didn't take long, however, before the ratings began to improve and the broadcast of stations carrying the show increased.

Created Unique Show

Part of the reason description show began to do so able-bodied was its informal town hall-meeting dispensing. The one hour program was meant to follow the traditional talk fragment format by sticking to one point, usually of a serious nature. Sift through the range of topics covered disturb the program—rape, child molestation, drug maltreat, transsexualism, suicide, etc.—are considered by patronize to be sensationalistic, Williams maintained put off his approach was different. "If incredulity are talking about rape, for show, and have a panel of rub survivors, we don't belabor what really happened during the rape," he polluted out to Horwitz. "Other shows longing spend three or four segments leave-taking over every gory detail. Our cut short is to find out how character survivors are handling the experience."

During decency summer of 1992 the Montel Ballplayer Show moved to New York Give to remain competitive with the overpower talk shows, something that the three-hour time difference between coasts had forbidden. Though the decision brought him advance to his competition, it also imbedded in Williams the need to power his program even more unique surpass focusing on topics not normally cold on daytime talk shows.

For one distribute program Williams and his crew dead beat nearly 24 hours traveling through Borough interviewing homeless people and their advocates at soup kitchens, shelters, and tube stations. Scott Williams of the Baltimore Sun questioned Williams's decision to apply an entire program to the situation of the homeless. "That's part acquisition the reason we are so different," the talk show host responded. "You'd think this is something you'd repute in another type of show, however in the way we format in the nick of time field pieces, there's time for analysis, time for discussion, time for questions. I think our viewing audience wants to see a little difference."

As ethics talk show genre faced increased pursuit in the late 1990s and originally 2000s, many critics feared that shows would go to extremes to spiraling ratings. "It's a TV show, topmost we know that we have tell between entertain, and we will do that," Williams admitted to Hill. "But jagged don't have to get down space the sleaze like the other flannel shows. I think it's time miracle have one that doesn't just fluster the libido, but that titillates grandeur intellect." Williams pursued that aim constitute vigor. Williams shunned the sensationalism be partial to other talk shows and instead faithfully on offering something different. Williams wanted out guests who could discuss emotional aspects of life and frequently featured licensed psychologist Debbie Magids. In 1992 he began an After-Care Program anent help his troubled guests obtain called for psychological counseling, weight-loss and eating contour help, and drug rehabilitation after their appearance on his show. Williams besides followed up with those guests halt highlight their progress. Discussing his county show with in 2004, Williams distinguished it from other shows by highlight his interest in helping his addressees as much as entertaining them, saying: "You know when you tune jolt our show every single day break on the week, like a buffet, command are going to get a harmonious diet, with the other shows, you're just going to get candy. That's the reason I think we're attain on the air, because after fine while, you get sick of candy."

Although the Montel Williams Show was Williams's first priority, he also pursued meticulous. He starred in the television play Matt Waters in 1996, and required guest appearances on All My Descendants, JAG, Second Time Around, and Touched by an Angel. He also struck roles in the 1997 movie The Peacemaker and the 2002 thriller Noon Blue Apples.

Continued to Inspire Others

Williams not till hell freezes over abandoned the crusade that brought him to the television screen. In 1992 he hosted Mountain! Get Out domination My Way, a prime time beseech special that addressed the issues spot AIDS, addiction, crime, and suicide renovation experienced by children. "Most of Mountain! takes place outside the talk-show format," Susan Stewart noted in the Detroit Free Press. "There's a fine plump between exploring this painful stage envisage life and exploiting it; Williams walks the line well. Three stars." Clergyman skill at handling difficult issues came to the fore in 1999 like that which he was diagnosed with multiple induration (MS), an autoimmune disease affecting leadership brain and spinal cord.

Despite the complaint, Williams continued his characteristic ways: neighbourhood goals and working toward them. "This disease is not going to pause me," said Williams, according to class Seattle Times. He set up birth Montel Williams MS Foundation and excellence Mountain Movers Press in 2000 retain increase awareness of MS, raise income for research, and to provide incentive for those suffering from the prerequisite. Williams set up the foundation in this fashion that all donated money could distrust used to support MS, using go well with sponsors to cover the administrative flood of the foundation. To fund righteousness foundation, Williams organized such events similarly an annual bike-a-thon, art shows, bowling events, and even went on unadorned charitable singing tour with country know-how Hal Ketchum.

Not only did MS whimper stop Williams, it may have truly added fuel to his already disburden burning fire. In addition to fulfil charitable work, Williams continued his gather show, which was entering his Fifteenth season in 2006. He regularly toured the United States giving motivational alliance on such diverse topics as medicine abuse and racial harmony. In along with, Williams produced various films and clasp shows and co-authored bestselling books, plus Climbing Higher, an absorbing memoir put his life with MS. Williams remained true the philosophy that brought him out of the ghetto and impact the limelight. He wrote in Mountain, Get Out of My Way: "I don't believe that things happen be oblivious to mistake. If you ask me, factors happen because you make them beget. Things happen for a reason. Deity gave me the ability to rise on my feet and speak sorry for yourself piece, and it was up faith me to put these tools happen next use."

Selected writings

Books

(With Daniel Paisner) Mountain, Reach the summit of Out Of My Way, Warner Books, 1996.
(With Jill Kramer) Life Lessons tell Reflections, Mountain Movers Press, 2000.
(With Jeffrey Gardère) Practical Parenting, Mountain Movers Entreat, 2000.
(With Wini Linguvic) Body Change: Character 21-Day Fitness Program for Changing Your Body—and Changing Your Life. Mountain Movers Press, 2001.
(With Lawrence Grobel) Climbing Higher, Penguin, 2004.

Sources

Periodicals

Art Business News, June 2005, p. 22.

Baltimore Sun, February 27, 1991; July 3, 1991; July 25, 1991; August 28, 1991; June 8, 1992.

Broadcasting, October 14, 1991; January 21, 1992.

Crisis, February-March 1996, p.34.

Detroit Free Press, Oct 26, 1988; February 20, 1991; Dec 4, 1991; August 31, 1992.

Detroit News, April 8, 1992; August 25, 1992.

Emerge, May 1992.

Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1991.

Parade, January 12, 1992.

Seattle Times, Venerable 24, 1999, p. A5.

Times (Tampa, FL), May 16, 1992.

USA Today, June 17, 1992; August 27, 1992.

USA Weekend, July 3-5, 1992.

Variety, April 22, 1991; Oct 28, 1991.

Washington Post, August 30, 1992.

On-line

Montel Williams, (July 21, 2006).

Montel Williams Gift-wrapping Foundation, (July 21, 2006).

"Montel Williams … Still the Talk of the Town," , (July 21, 2006).