Rush Limbaugh Dead At 70
• Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio host who dominated the airwaves for three-plus decades and consistently made headlines with his often controversial takes on current events, has died at the age of 70. Limbaugh, aptly described by The Washington Post as a “conservative provocateur,” was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer a year ago. Limbaugh’s wife, Kathryn broke the news of his death at the start of Wednesday’s radio show.
As reported by TheWrap.com, Limbaugh, a native of Cape Girardeau, MO got his start as a Top 40 jock in small market radio in the 1970s under the name “Jeff Christie.” He began using his own name on air while working in Kansas City in the early ’80s, before moving to KFBK/Sacramento in 1984, replacing the colorful Morton Downey Jr.
Four years later, Limbaugh was launched into national syndication — boosted by the FCC’s 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine that had required stations to provide free airtime to opposing views on controversial issues. That Reagan-era decision paved the way for Limbaugh and other conservatives to dominate the airwaves with talk radio that promoted Republican causes while excoriating Democrats, liberals, feminists and environmentalists. iHeartMedia & Premiere Networks renewed and extended their partnership with Limbaugh in January 2020, just a month before he revealed his cancer diagnosis. Limbaugh marked his 32nd year in syndication in August 2020.
Limbaugh received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump at the 2020 State of the Union address, just one day after publicly revealing his cancer battle. He used his final broadcast of 2020 to emotionally share his gratitude with his listeners, saying, “My point in all of this today is gratitude. My point in all of this is to say thanks and tell everybody involved how much I love you from the bottom of a sizable and growing and still-beating heart.” [Photo from The Washington Post]
• Benztown has made available an Audio Tribute to Rush Limbaugh, written and voiced by Bill Royal and produced by Tom Baker.
