Homeless man’s faith inspires song

HILLSBORO, Ohio - He doubted his faith just a little bit, day by day, but Tony Williams said you have to be tested before you can have a testament. So, he kept the faith.

"You have to believe in not only yourself but believe in God as your faith. But you have to believe in yourself—there's a part that you have to play in this walk also.”

As he slid his fingers across the keyboard’s ivories, his melodic words flowed out from deep inside, exuding his passion for faith and his religion.

“I believe in me,” said Williams, whose gray tuffs of hair peek through the sides of his blue ball cap, which has the words: ‘FBI, Firm Believer In JESUS’ across the top. But “it’s not easy” to have faith.

That's why the 58-year-old wrote, “It's Real”.

"There is a message of hope, of not giving up, continuing to believe in yourself but it has to start with you first."

The music started with him about five years ago. One thing led to another, and Soundforce Gospel offered him a recording contract for his debut single.

He flew to Atlanta to record his single, “It’s Real” in December, and signed a contract with the record label.

"I'm proud of what I did. I'm proud of it because it's reality. It's easy to sing about, 'we have cars' 'we have all of that' but to struggle and survive and make it through, that's reality."

His reality started about two months ago when his relationship ended and he found himself out of his home, with nowhere to go.

"You know you have to have a test before you can have a testament. So that kind of is my testament—it is real,” said Williams.

He came to a place where he had volunteered in the past.

"I never thought that I'd end up in a shelter."

But he did. In fact, the Highland County Homeless Shelter is his home.

"In this life that we live right now, it can happen to anyone… changes came. This [shelter] was a great thing because, it was offered to me and I accepted. It doesn't make me any less person because I'm here—it's just some help along the way."

His faith was tested further, when due to budget cuts this past Christmas, he was laid off from his job as a custodian at a local church.

"I do remember how I doubted him day by day because sometimes, you'll be struggling and you're asking God to help bring you through and he doesn't happen when you want it to happen, and then when it does, you realize that's it's real… it's real," he said.
    
Williams walked into the room, filled with 10 beds in organized rows, and showed off his most-prized possession… his keyboard, which he stows behind his bed at the shelter.

When you're in a shelter and you're in a situation in life like this, things really become real to you," said Bill Fife, executive director of Highland County Homeless Shelter. "Once you get to this point, this is as real as it gets."

Williams, however, stays positive about his current living situation.

“I haven’t been hungry and I have a roof over my head.”

He may be out of work now, but his hands are never idol. He volunteers for Our Daily Bread Program, feeding the hungry at a local church in Hillsboro, Ohio.

Although he travels to churches to sing his song, he said that he is still looking for a job.

In the meantime, he is the music director for his church's male chorus and a member of the Southern State Community choir.

He said that he’s working with the record company on two other songs, and is hoping to record them in front of a live audience.

“I really believe that good things are going to happen. Sometimes when you remove yourself from a situation, and allow God to work... he does."

"I think I'm going to be alright. I really do. I think I'm going to be blessed. I think that somebody somewhere can appreciate what I do," said Williams, as he finished out the song on his keyboard.

His song, "It's Real" can be downloaded for free at: www.soundforcegospel.com.