Rush Limbaugh: The Man Behind the Golden Mic

The Early Days / Personal Life

In this edition of Faces of Intrepidity, a sub-series where America Mission™ explores Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk radio personality who found success in radio during a time when the internet was the hottest rage. His efforts helped define the Republican party for more than three decades.

EARLY LIFE

Few people in the political world are familiar with Rusty Sharpe, but the Cape Girardeau, Missouri high school disc jockey, and college dropout, would become one of the most recognized names in politics. Sharpe, was the pseudonym used by the radio personality on KGMO radio personality. Born in 1951, his real name was Rush Hudson Limbaugh III.

Limbaugh grew up surrounded by politics. His uncle was a federal judge appointed by Ronald Reagan, his cousin a US District Court judge appointed by Georgie W Bush, and his grandfather served as Ambassador to India in the Dwight Eisenhower presidency.

Limbaugh bounced around at various radio stations with limited success, eventually landing at KMBZ providing news summaries and sports commentary.

It was there, where his flare for the dramatic landing him in his first bout of hot water. It was 1984 and Limbaugh had previously worked for the Kansas City Royals, taking as a promoter in 1979. HIs insight into the Royals, combined with his opinion of the team’s general manager Jack Steadman, lead to Limbaugh giving an on-air comment referring to Steadman as “probably the biggest horse’s ass in professional sports!“

Needless to say, the remark found Limbaugh looking for another opportunity after

Fate interveins

In 1984, Limbaugh landing in Sacramento, Ca. at KFBK which was looking to replace outgoing Morton Downy Jr. Within a year, he was not only the station’s top personality, but ranked as the top radio host in the Sacramento market.

His off-the-cuff commentary was starting to resonant with the American public at a time when the country was riding the wave of President Ronald Reagan sweeping changes. Like, Reagan’s policies, Limbaugh’s on-air antics were polarizing. Listeners either loved or hated him.

“He did a lot of that insult radio, which resonated with some and others despised. He was just more of an entertainer,” Limbaugh’s former call screener Kitty O’Neal said in a 2021 interview with KCRA’s Vicki Gonzalez. She went on to note “there was a billboard that said, ‘don’t you just want to punch Rush Limbaugh?”

The Cowboy effect

It would be the former Hollywood cowboy, turned President, Ronald Reagan that set a path for Limbaugh. Reagan, in 1987, ended the Fairness Doctrine. The move meant radio and television shows no longer had to provide equal time, or offer opposing views on topics.

This fit Limbaugh perfectly. His political opinions and policy reviews escalated. Cable news had quickly challenged the big three networks, with CNN leading the march. But, with the Fairness Doctrine removed, Limbaugh lead a wave of shows taking over like the wild west.

The Washington Post wrote,

“Conservative voices had long been ignored in the mainstream media, they claimed, but now that the free market had been unchained, it was clear what the people wanted.“

A rapid ascent to the top

Rush Limbaugh receives the presidential medal of freedom from the first lady, M
elania Trump, during the State of the Union address. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

It was during Limbaugh’s stint in Sacramento that ABC’s Ed McGlaughlin caught Limbaugh’s broadcasts. McGlaughlin was launching his new FM Media Network and signed Limbaugh in 1988 to a two-year contract. McGlaughlin turned him loose on the New York market, albeit on the midnight to 6 am time slot, and the Rush Limbaugh Show launched on August 1 of that year.

Limbaugh quickly became a hit with the growing network. It took only five years for Limbaugh to top 20 million listeners and 650 stations. As Limbaugh grew, so to did talk radio, growing to more than 1,130 stations.

During that run, Limbaugh launched his own production company EIB Network, which stood for Excellence In Broadcasting. He coined his followers Ditto Heads, which was quickly embraced. Another of his catch phrases honored his radio heritage “coming to you from behind the golden EIB microphone.”

By 1992, Limbaugh was synonymous with conservative talk radio and Washington politics. He launched a television series that ran until 1996. He also hosted an interview with President George HW Bush. Other notables were Charlton Heston, Colin Powell, and President George W Bush, who appeared on the show six times.

From that point, Limbaugh’s show became a go-to spot for conservatives to gain exposure.

Limbaugh made another attempt at TV and sports in 2003, joining ESPN as a football commentator. The two parted ways after just a few weeks.

In 2020, Limbaugh was Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He passed away a year later.

P.S. Also a Best selling author!

Limbaugh did not limit his talents to the radio. He penned 14 books, including a series of children’s books titled Rush Revere.

His 1992 book The Way Things Ought to Be became a New York Times best seller. His follow-up books were also hugely successful – See I Told You So, and Radio’s Greatest of All Time.

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Faces of Intrepidity!

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