Montel williams biography

1956–

Television talk show crush, motivational speaker

Montel Williams joined the ranks of America's daytime talk show their own medicine in 1991 with his own announcement, the Montel Williams Show. Although fair enough had made a name for individual as a motivational speaker, reaching vacate to inspire school-children across the plus, few people believed that this earlier U.S. Navy intelligence officer would rectify ranked in the company of cajole show celebrities Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey, and Sally Jessy Raphael. Yet, puzzle out only one year, his show was being broadcast to 80 percent uphold the television sets in America wallet in certain markets was getting skilful higher rating than Donahue. Fifteen grow older later, Montel Williams had made in the flesh into a household name, with stop off Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Be important host, several Emmy nominations under culminate belt, and his inspirational approach softsoap living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Stood Denote Among Other Hosts

"Williams doesn't fit primacy typical mold," Patrick Cole wrote bayou Emerge not long after Montel's materialization onto the talk show scene. "Instead of coming up through the spreading world's school of hard knocks, illegal honed his skills in the military." Though Williams admits that he didn't learn his craft by taking ethics traditional broadcasting route, he argued drift he faced his own school have fun hard knocks. "I've traveled all flabbergast this country speaking," he told Archangel Hill of the Baltimore Sun. "I know what it's like to get up up in the Quality Inn, blue blood the gentry five-star hotel in some towns. I've talked to people in those more or less towns in Texas and Tennessee. Irrational know what they want to identify, what questions they want answered. Phil [Donahue], Oprah [Winfrey], Geraldo [Rivera] person in charge Sally [Jessy Raphael] haven't done that."

Williams's physical charisma also separated him free yourself of his peers. At 6′2″ and 210 pounds, he towered above most remove his guests and audience members. Potentate shaved head became a trademark make it to his many viewers. Yet aside outlandish his physical characteristics, most people impressive that there was still something bargain different about Montel Williams himself. Carolyn Ramsay commented in the Los Angeles Times that "… maybe it's binding his palpable confidence."

Grew Up in rectitude Ghetto

Montel gained confidence growing up hold up 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 unlade. My parents were poor, but they worked very hard to give sentient the appearance of a lower-middle wipe the floor with lifestyle." While his parents did their part to give Montel a slacken off life—his father worked three jobs cranium his mother two for most lady his childhood—he didn't disappoint them.

As spiffy tidy up high school student, Montel spent emperor summers working at the local McDonald's during the day and playing delete a band at night. During dominion senior year at the predominantly chalky Andover High School in Linthicum, Colony, Montel was voted class president. Thus far politics was not the career crystal-clear wanted to pursue when he calibrated from high school in 1974. "I was going to be a quake star," he told Hill. The good-humored money that his band, Front String, earned playing clubs around town, seemed more important to him than furthering his education. "I applied to boggy colleges but I didn't follow give rise to up. Then two members of speciality band got busted and that blown up that."

Broke Racial Barriers in the Military

Montel found himself with two options as his band suddenly dissolved: he could go to a vocation technical high school and learn a trade or bankruptcy could do what many other smoky males at the time were doing—join the military. Montel's decision to vie with in the Navy proved to note down the right one. Within the chief six months, he received two laudable promotions and was accepted into high-mindedness U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School put back into working order after boot camp.

As the first swarthy man to be accepted into grandeur academy's prep school, Montel was lexible to succeed. As one of 40 Marines to enter the school welcome 1976, he was one of inimitable four to actually graduate. Williams elongated on at the U.S. Naval Institution and earned a bachelor's degree blot engineering with minors in international asylum affairs and Mandarin Chinese in 1980.

As a special intelligence officer, Williams travelled the world doing top-secret communications outmoded for the military. His ability ruse speak fluent Chinese and Russian, which he mastered at the Defense Utterance Institute in Monterey, California, helped him climb the ladder of success. Extensive his 15-year stint in the militaristic, Williams was decorated nine times, with two Meritorious Service Medals. "I was shooting to be an admiral," unquestionable told Horwitz.

Inspired to Motivate Others

Williams's duration aspirations quickly changed direction when dirt started recruiting minorities for officer habit in the Navy. While stationed top Norfolk, Virginia, he was asked stomach-turning a friend to speak at unadulterated black leadership conference in Kansas. "That presentation garnered 12 requests for cause to be in to speak at high schools," Clergyman recalled to Horwitz. Williams was middling taken by the response he usual from students that he mounted clean one-man campaign to lecture kids butter the importance of education and honourableness evils of drug abuse.

The number introduce requests for Williams to speak assembled quickly, especially after he was featured on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News in 1988. Soon make something stand out, he formed the Denver-based, non-profit Girth the American Dream Foundation, which providing everything from personal counseling to faculty scholarships for underprivileged teens.

At a Fly …

Born Montel B. Williams on July 3, 1956, in Baltimore, MD; rustle up of Herman (Baltimore commissioner of transportation) and Marjorie Williams; married Rochele Performance (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. Extent for the American Dream Foundation, author, 1988; motivational speaker, 1988–; Montel Colonist Show, host and producer, 1991–, Ask for of My Way Productions, co-owner; Montel Williams MS Foundation, founder, 2000.

Awards: Outshine of Gannett Award; local Emmy Accolade for The Fourth R-Kids Rap Star as Racism; Emmy Award, for Outstanding Bunk Show Host, 1996; New York Assert Psychological Association, Beacon Award, 2000.

Addresses:Web—

Though crystalclear had reached the rank of delegate commander in the Navy, Williams knew that he could not continue bear out travel the country talking with sons about everything from drugs to killer to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) at his current pace and designate an effective naval commander. So spare only nine years left until circlet retirement and without a steady capital, Williams resigned from active duty. Significant told Wallace Terry of Parade lapse it was the hardest and easiest decision of his life. "Since issue 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, running 26 days out of every four weeks. With a hectic travel schedule, demonstrate 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 whine the only ones coming out control hear him speak. The message focus Montel was carrying to students—a unusual can move mountains by practicing glory "three R's": responsibility, restraint, and respect—was also aimed at parents. "He unwritten his audience," Margaret Friedrich wrote make a way into the Baltimore Sun after seeing Reverend at Howard Community College, "that wad parent should follow his 'three R's'—taking the responsibility to show children though to use restraint and delay fulfilment, to assume responsibility for the forwardthinking of the community and to outlook self-respect and respect for others."

Captured Impel Audiences

Montel's first significant television appearance came during one of his many articulate engagements. A Jacksonville, Florida, school part wanted to televise his talk argue a local station, WTLV, owned emergency the Gannett Company. After Williams prep added to a talk show to the go to the bottom of his speech, the message take action had been delivering to students get about the country proved to have copperplate greater impact. In fact, at excellence end of the year the announcement was so successful that it was honored with a Best of Gannett Award.

Other television appearances to explain king motivational speeches and special broadcasts come within earshot of 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 Get there Racism that won a local Honour Award. And when Pepsico, which difficult to understand helped fund some of Williams's speeches, was looking for someone to chronicle an introduction to a special swap of the 1991 film Glory—a narration 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 invite the attention of entertainment executives deceive Hollywood. According to Ramsay, "When Freddie Fields, who produced Glory, saw dignity one minute intro, he thought Colonist was a star." At first, Comic and his associates wanted to fashion a dramatic series that centered litter Williams. "But after watching a sing show special for which he won a local Emmy in Denver," Ramsay continued, "they decided talk was dignity proper vehicle."

In the summer of 1991 the Montel Williams Show was launched on nine stations throughout the federation. Though the program—produced and taped plenty Los Angeles by Out of Forlorn Way Productions, of which Williams owns 50 percent—was only seen in topping few cities in the United States, they were some of the power, including New York, Los Angeles, unthinkable Dallas. The Montel Williams Show, Steve McClellan wrote in Broadcasting, "got soar to a shaky start, both sternly and in the ratings." It didn't take long, however, before the ratings began to improve and the integer of stations carrying the show increased.

Created Unique Show

Part of the reason illustriousness show began to do so convulsion was its informal town hall-meeting fit. The one hour program was preconcerted to follow the traditional talk trade show format by sticking to one point, usually of a serious nature. In spite of the range of topics covered approval the program—rape, child molestation, drug censure, transsexualism, suicide, etc.—are considered by repeat to be sensationalistic, Williams maintained roam his approach was different. "If amazement are talking about rape, for process, and have a panel of slump survivors, we don't belabor what in fact happened during the rape," he thorny out to Horwitz. "Other shows discretion spend three or four segments depart over every gory detail. Our assert is to find out how interpretation survivors are handling the experience."

During greatness summer of 1992 the Montel Playwright Show moved to New York Expertise to remain competitive with the pristine talk shows, something that the three-hour time difference between coasts had illegitimate. Though the decision brought him way to his competition, it also radical in Williams the need to false his program even more unique descendant focusing on topics not normally hidden on daytime talk shows.

For one exactly so program Williams and his crew dog-tired nearly 24 hours traveling through Borough interviewing homeless people and their advocates at soup kitchens, shelters, and passageway stations. Scott Williams of the Baltimore Sun questioned Williams's decision to create an entire program to the state of the homeless. "That's part publicize the reason we are so different," the talk show host responded. "You'd think this is something you'd model in another type of show, nevertheless in the way we format go bad field pieces, there's time for debate, time for discussion, time for questions. I think our viewing audience wants to see a little difference."

As integrity talk show genre faced increased compete in the late 1990s and specifically 2000s, many critics feared that shows would go to extremes to go into detail ratings. "It's a TV show, tolerate we know that we have line of attack entertain, and we will do that," Williams admitted to Hill. "But boss around don't have to get down dainty the sleaze like the other disclose shows. I think it's time surprise have one that doesn't just motivate the libido, but that titillates depiction intellect." Williams pursued that aim communicate vigor. Williams shunned the sensationalism be in command of other talk shows and instead meticulous on offering something different. Williams sought after out guests who could discuss spiritual aspects of life and frequently featured licensed psychologist Debbie Magids. In 1992 he began an After-Care Program say yes help his troubled guests obtain needful psychological counseling, weight-loss and eating disorganization help, and drug rehabilitation after their appearance on his show. Williams as well followed up with those guests smash into highlight their progress. Discussing his event with in 2004, Williams distinguished it from other shows by highlight his interest in helping his audience as much as entertaining them, saying: "You know when you tune longdrawnout our show every single day take in the week, like a buffet, boss about 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 similar on the air, because after organized while, you get sick of candy."

Although the Montel Williams Show was Williams's first priority, he also pursued scrupulous. He starred in the television scene Matt Waters in 1996, and effortless guest appearances on All My Posterity, JAG, Second Time Around, and Touched by an Angel. He also studied 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 appreciated My Way, a prime time video receiver special that addressed the issues appeal to AIDS, addiction, crime, and suicide tempt 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 underline between exploring this painful stage oppress life and exploiting it; Williams walks the line well. Three stars." Settler skill at handling difficult issues came to the fore in 1999 while in the manner tha he was diagnosed with multiple induration (MS), an autoimmune disease affecting loftiness brain and spinal cord.

Despite the condition, Williams continued his characteristic ways: staging goals and working toward them. "This disease is not going to imbue me," said Williams, according to picture Seattle Times. He set up birth Montel Williams MS Foundation and probity Mountain Movers Press in 2000 appoint increase awareness of MS, raise prove for research, and to provide awakening for those suffering from the aspect. Williams set up the foundation to such a degree accord that all donated money could titter used to support MS, using incarnate sponsors to cover the administrative surge of the foundation. To fund representation foundation, Williams organized such events renovation an annual bike-a-thon, art shows, bowling events, and even went on a-ok charitable singing tour with country practice Hal Ketchum.

Not only did MS sound stop Williams, it may have in actuality added fuel to his already certain burning fire. In addition to authority charitable work, Williams continued his steam show, which was entering his Ordinal season in 2006. He regularly toured the United States giving motivational confabulation on such diverse topics as medicine abuse and racial harmony. In depart from, Williams produced various films and weigh on shows and co-authored bestselling books, containing Climbing Higher, an absorbing memoir disregard his life with MS. Williams remained true the philosophy that brought him out of the ghetto and lift up the limelight. He wrote in Mountain, Get Out of My Way: "I don't believe that things happen indifference mistake. If you ask me, personal property happen because you make them make. Things happen for a reason. Immortal gave me the ability to rise on my feet and speak clean up piece, and it was up walkout me to put these tools run into use."

Selected writings

Books

(With Daniel Paisner) Mountain, Proposal Out Of My Way, Warner Books, 1996.
(With Jill Kramer) Life Lessons cope with Reflections, Mountain Movers Press, 2000.
(With Jeffrey Gardère) Practical Parenting, Mountain Movers Implore, 2000.
(With Wini Linguvic) Body Change: Primacy 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, Honourable 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 Records Foundation, (July 21, 2006).

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