Rush Limbaugh III was a well-known American conservative commentator and the host of The Rush Limbaugh Show, which aired nationally on AM and FM radio stations for over three decades, starting in 1988.
Early Life & Education
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born on January 12, 1951, into the influential Limbaugh family in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His parents, Rush Hudson Limbaugh II and Mildred Carolyn (née Armstrong) Limbaugh, welcomed him and his younger brother David into the world.
His father was a lawyer and a fighter pilot for the United States, serving in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. His mother hailed from Searcy, Arkansas. The name “Rush” was initially selected for his grandfather as a tribute to a relative’s last name, Edna Rush.
Rush Limbaugh’s family has a strong legal background, with several members, including his grandfather, father, brother, uncle, and cousin, serving as lawyers or judges.
His grandfather, Rush Limbaugh Sr., was a prominent figure in Missouri, holding positions as a prosecutor, judge, and member of the state House of Representatives. Additionally, his uncle and cousin have both been appointed to the federal court by former President George W. Bush.
In 1969, Limbaugh graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School, where he played football and was a Boys State delegate. At 16, he started his first radio job at KGMO, using the name Rusty Sharpe.
He found the name in a phone book. Limbaugh later said Chicago DJ Larry Lujack was his only influence. He enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University to please his parents but dropped out after two semesters.
Rush Limbaugh Career
After selling tickets for the Kansas City Royals, Rush Limbaugh joined KFBK in Sacramento in the mid-1980s, thanks to a friend in radio. He replaced Morton Downey Jr. and soon topped the ratings. Within a year, he was Sacramento’s top radio host.
In 1987, the FCC repealed the Fairness Doctrine, which had required TV and radio stations to give equal time to both sides of political debates. This paved the way for Rush Limbaugh’s distinct conservative radio style.
Soon after, the radio host left KFBK to join the ABC Radio Network. He took with him his new popularity and a reputation for being strict and conservative.
On August 1, 1988, The Rush Limbaugh Show debuted on ABC Radio from New York City and has since been broadcast nationally. The show, which focuses on politics and often has a strong conservative bias, has been going on for over 30 years.
It once was the most popular talk radio show in America. It is now syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks and is available on over 600 stations across the country.
Limbaugh is well-known for his work on the radio. He also often appears on TV shows as a political analyst. He has written many articles and books, including The Way Things Ought to Be in 1992 and See, I Told You So in 1993.
In 1993, Rush Limbaugh was honored by being added to the Radio Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was added to the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He has also been honored five times with the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Award for his great work in broadcasting.
Personal Life
After three failed marriages, Rush Limbaugh tied the knot with his fourth spouse, Kathryn Adams, in 2010. In October 2003, the radio host said he had a problem with addiction to painkillers. He started taking them after having back surgery five years before.
Death
In February 2020, Rush Limbaugh made public that he had received a diagnosis of late-stage lung cancer. Soon after, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at Donald Trump‘s State of the Union speech.
Limbaugh died on February 17, 2021, after a battle with advanced lung cancer.
