Rush Limbaugh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rush Limbaugh
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Limbaugh in 2019
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| Born |
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III
January 12, 1951 Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | February 17, 2021 (aged 70) Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Resting place | Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1967–2021 |
| Spouse(s) |
Roxy Maxine McNeely
(m. 1977; div. 1980)Michelle Sixta
(m. 1983; div. 1990)Marta Fitzgerald
(m. 1994; div. 2004)Kathryn Rogers
(m. 2010) |
| Relatives | Limbaugh family |
| Awards |
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Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative radio host and political expert. He was best known for hosting The Rush Limbaugh Show. This show started in 1984 and was broadcast across the country from 1988 until his death in 2021.
Limbaugh became a very important conservative voice in the United States during the 1990s. He also had a national television show from 1992 to 1996. He was one of the highest-paid people in American radio. In 2018, Forbes magazine reported his earnings were $84.5 million. By December 2019, his radio show had about 15.5 million listeners each week. This made it the most-listened-to radio show in the United States. Limbaugh also wrote seven books. His first two books, The Way Things Ought to Be (1992) and See, I Told You So (1993), became The New York Times Best Sellers.
In 1993, he was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame. In 1998, he joined the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. During the 2020 State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Contents
Early Life and Radio Start
Rush Limbaugh was born on January 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His parents were Rush Hudson Limbaugh II and Mildred Carolyn Limbaugh. He had a younger brother named David. His family, the Limbaugh family, was well-known in politics. His father was a lawyer and a pilot in World War II. His mother was from Searcy, Arkansas. The name "Rush" came from his grandfather, honoring a family name.
Limbaugh's family had many lawyers. His grandfather, father, and brother were all lawyers. His uncle, Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr., was a federal judge. His cousin, Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., is also a judge. Limbaugh's grandfather, Rush Limbaugh Sr., was a prosecutor and judge in Missouri. He was also a member of the Missouri House of Representatives.
In 1969, Limbaugh finished high school at Cape Girardeau Central High School. He played football there. When he was 16, he got his first radio job at KGMO, a local station. He used the name "Rusty Sharpe" on air. Limbaugh said that Chicago DJ Larry Lujack was a big influence on him. He enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University to please his parents. However, he left college after two semesters because he was only interested in radio.
Radio Career Beginnings
In February 1971, when he was 20, Limbaugh became a DJ at WIXZ. This was a Top 40 music station in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He used the name "Bachelor Jeff" Christie. He worked in the afternoons and then moved to morning shows.
In 1975, Limbaugh started an afternoon show at KUDL in Kansas City, Missouri. He soon hosted a talk show on weekend mornings. This allowed him to develop his unique style and share more of his ideas.
In November 1983, Limbaugh decided to use his real name on the radio. He got a job at KFBK in Sacramento, California. His show there started on October 14, 1984.
National Radio Show Success
In 1988, Ed McLaughlin, a former ABC Radio executive, offered Limbaugh a national radio show. This show would be broadcast from 12 pm to 2 pm. Limbaugh also got a separate show at WABC-AM in New York City. This was to meet his contract needs.
Limbaugh's new show at WABC-AM began on July 4, 1988. His national program started on 50 stations on August 1. Three months later, it was on 100 stations. His show became very popular. WABC (AM) in New York City was his main station for many years. Even when Limbaugh moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, he still broadcast from there. In 2014, his show moved to WOR (AM) in New York.
By 1990, Limbaugh had been on his "Rush to Excellence Tour" for two years. This was a series of live appearances in cities across the country. He made a lot of money from these shows.
In December 1990, a journalist wrote that Limbaugh had more listeners than any other talk show host. His popularity grew during the Gulf War. He supported the war and often made fun of peace activists. His program moved to stations with bigger audiences. Eventually, it was broadcast on over 650 radio stations nationwide.
By the 1992 United States presidential election, Limbaugh was a very important political commentator.
The Rush Limbaugh Show Details
Limbaugh's radio show was on for three hours every weekday. It started at noon Eastern Time. It was broadcast on both AM and FM radio stations. The show was also heard worldwide on the Armed Forces Radio Network.
Radio broadcasting changed from AM to FM in the 1970s. FM stations could play music in stereo with better sound. Limbaugh's show first became national in August 1988 on the AM radio band. His popularity helped other conservative talk radio shows become common on AM radio. In the 1990s, some FM stations also started carrying his show. By 2019, about half of his stations were on the FM dial.
Limbaugh used different sounds, songs, and pictures to introduce his talks. For example, news about homeless people was often played with the song "Ain't Got No Home".
In March 2006, WBAL in Baltimore was the first big radio station to stop carrying Limbaugh's show. In 2007, TALKERS Magazine named him the No. 1 most important talk show host.
Limbaugh often talked about the EIB (Excellence In Broadcasting) Network. He owned most of his show. It was broadcast by Premiere Radio Networks.
In 2001, an article said Limbaugh had an eight-year contract for $31.25 million a year. In 2007, he earned $33 million. A 2008 poll found that Limbaugh was the most trusted news person in the country.
Limbaugh signed a $400 million, eight-year contract in 2008. This made him the highest-paid broadcaster on radio. In 2016, he signed a four-year extension. His show continued to grow in audience and revenue.
In 2018, Limbaugh was the world's second highest-paid radio host. He earned about $84.5 million. On January 5, 2020, Limbaugh renewed his contract again. President Donald Trump said it was a four-year deal.
After Limbaugh's death, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton took over his radio time slot.
Television and Other Appearances
Limbaugh had a syndicated half-hour television show from 1992 to 1996. It was produced by Roger Ailes. The show talked about many of the same topics as his radio show. It was filmed in front of a live audience. After it started in September 1992, it was the third highest-rated late-night TV show. Limbaugh said he loved doing radio, but not TV.
Limbaugh also appeared on other TV shows. On March 30, 1990, he was a guest host on Pat Sajak's late-night show. He appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1993. Limbaugh also played himself on a 1994 episode of Hearts Afire. He was in the 1995 movie Forget Paris with Billy Crystal. In 1998, he appeared on an episode of The Drew Carey Show.
In 2007, Limbaugh made short appearances on Fox News Channel's The 1/2 Hour News Hour. He played a future President of the United States in these comedy skits. He also had cameo roles in the animated show Family Guy. He appeared in episodes like "Blue Harvest" (2007), "Excellence in Broadcasting" (2010), and "Episode VI: It's a Trap!" (2011).
Charitable Work and Giving Back
Rush Limbaugh was involved in several charitable activities. He used his platform to help raise money for important causes.
Helping Leukemia and Lymphoma Patients
From 1990 until his death, Limbaugh held a yearly fundraiser called the "EIB Cure-a-Thon." This event raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2006, the 16th Cure-a-Thon raised $1.7 million. This brought the total raised to over $15 million since the first event. Limbaugh himself gave large amounts of money to the society. He donated between $100,000 and $499,999 in many years. In 2006, he was in the $500,000 to $999,999 category. In 2007, he donated $320,000, and the Cure-a-Thon raised $3.1 million. In 2008, he pledged $400,000 to the society.
Supporting Military and Law Enforcement Families
Limbaugh also held a yearly drive for the Marine Corps–Law Enforcement Foundation. This foundation helps provide scholarships for children. These are children of Marines and law enforcement officers who have died while on duty. In October 2007, he helped raise a record $2.1 million. This came from an eBay auction where he sold a letter. He also promised to match the selling price.
In 2011, Limbaugh and his wife started their company, Two if by Tea. They promised to donate at least $100,000 to the Marine Corps–Law Enforcement Foundation each year.
Helping the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
In 2019, Limbaugh's radio program helped raise money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. This happened after a shoe company pulled a special sneaker design. Limbaugh's show introduced a t-shirt that said "Stand up for Betsy Ross". The money from these t-shirt sales went to the foundation. By December 2019, the sales had earned over $5 million for the foundation.
Books Written by Rush Limbaugh
In 1992, Limbaugh published his first book, The Way Things Ought to Be. His second book, See, I Told You So, came out the next year. Both of these books were number one on The New York Times Best Seller list for 24 weeks.
In 2013, Limbaugh wrote his first children's book. It was called Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel with Exceptional Americans. He won the Author of the Year Award from the Children's Book Council for this book. His second children's book, Rush Revere and the First Patriots, was released in 2014. This book was nominated for an author-of-the-year award. Later that same year, he released his third children's book. It was called Rush Revere and the American Revolution and was written with his wife, Kathryn. They dedicated this book to the U.S. military and their families.
- The Way Things Ought to Be, Pocket Books, October 1, 1992, ISBN: 978-0671751456
- See I Told You So, November 1, 1993, Atria, ISBN: 978-0671871208
- Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, Threshold Editions, October 29, 2013, ISBN: 978-1476755861
- Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, Threshold Editions, March 11, 2014, ISBN: 978-1476755885
- Rush Revere and the American Revolution: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, Threshold Editions, October 28, 2014, ISBN: 978-1476789873
- Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, Threshold Editions, October 27, 2015, ISBN: 978-1476789880
- Rush Revere and the Presidency: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, Threshold Editions, November 22, 2016, ISBN: 978-1501156892
Personal Life and Health
Rush Limbaugh was married four times. He did not have any children. His first marriage was to Roxy Maxine McNeely in 1977. They divorced in 1980. In 1983, he married Michelle Sixta. They divorced in 1990. On May 27, 1994, Limbaugh married Marta Fitzgerald. They separated in 2004. He then dated Kathryn Rogers for three years. They married on June 5, 2010.
Limbaugh lived in Palm Beach, Florida, from 1996 until his death in 2021.
Later Years and Passing
Limbaugh was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer on January 20, 2020. He had started feeling short of breath earlier that month. On October 20, 2020, Limbaugh announced that his treatment was not working. He shared that his diagnosis was terminal.
Limbaugh made his last radio broadcast on February 2, 2021. He passed away on February 17, at the age of 70. His wife, Kathryn Rogers Limbaugh, said his death was due to complications from lung cancer. The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on the day he was buried. Limbaugh was buried at the Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
Influence and Lasting Impact
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Rush Limbaugh was widely known as one of the most important voices in the conservative movement in the United States. This began in the 1990s. Former president Ronald Reagan thanked him in a 1992 letter. Reagan gave him credit for promoting conservative ideas. He called Limbaugh "the Number One voice for conservatism in our Country." In 1994, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives made Limbaugh an honorary member.
Limbaugh received the Marconi Radio Award five times. This award is for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year. He won in 1992, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2014. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1993. He also joined the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998. By 2017, Limbaugh was the second-highest-paid radio host in the U.S. He earned $84 million a year. In 2017, he was the most-listened-to radio host, with 14 million listeners. Many people say Limbaugh helped bring back AM radio. At that time, most people had switched to FM.
The conservative magazine Human Events named Limbaugh their 2007 Man of the Year. Later that year, Barbara Walters featured Limbaugh as one of the most fascinating people of the year.
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Rush Limbaugh was added to the Hall of Famous Missourians on May 14, 2012. A bronze statue of Limbaugh is on display at the Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City. It is there with statues of 40 other award winners. Limbaugh's statue has a security camera to prevent damage.
On February 4, 2020, Limbaugh was a guest of President Donald Trump. This was at the 2020 State of the Union Address. There, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Melania Trump.
Images for kids
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Rush Limbaugh on The Phil Donahue Show, 1991
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See also
In Spanish: Rush Limbaugh para niños
