WEBVTT - That’s My Brother 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.159 Welcome to episode for your Russia Limbaugh, the man behind 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.800 the Golden EI B microphone. If you haven't heard episodes 0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:09.760 one through three, you can always go back and listen 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:13.040 to those exclusive stories from people who knew Rush on 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:16.080 and off the air, including Dawn and Brian, who were 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:18.720 with Rush and me in the E I B Southern 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:22.159 Command studio every day for more than twenty years. But 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:25.639 today we have a very special episode for you. We 0:00:25.720 --> 0:00:29.360 have a chance to hear from Russia's brother, David Limbaugh. 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:35.440 Now I've known David for a very long time decades, 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:39.479 and David and I are friends, and I want to 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:44.040 tell you something about David. And this is very touching 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:48.279 to me, and it's something that I will always remember. 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:53.360 When the day, that day that Rush gave us the 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:58.080 bad news about his diagnosis, it was a very tough day. 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:03.040 I got a call um before the show ended that 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:08.039 day from David, and David just said, James, I'm just 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:11.000 calling to see whether you're all right. We're all worried 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.880 about you because we know how much you love Rush. 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:17.160 Of course I broke down, and of course you know 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:21.840 David was was just as emotional as David can be 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:25.640 under those kind of circumstances. We were all just on 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:29.160 the edge. And and and that's who David is, and 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:33.800 and that's who this family is. I knew Rush and 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:38.720 David's mom, Millie, and I hung out with Millie and 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:46.520 I rocked David's one of David's daughters to sleep while 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:50.400 we were all traveling somewhere with Rush to to on 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:52.880 on one of our great traveling adventures. I don't even 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:56.040 remember where we were going, but I just remember hanging 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:59.400 out with them. You hear this expression, the salt of 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:04.840 the earth, the Limbaugh family. I've met so many of them. 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.800 These people are the people that you would want to 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:10.760 be your neighbors. They're the people you would want to 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:14.359 be your friends. These are the people that you would 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:19.560 want to be your family. And you'd be grateful if 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:23.880 you were in their family. Not only do they love 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:28.000 this country, not only do they love their family, they 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:33.200 love their friends, and they create an incredibly loving environment. 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:37.840 And it is so easy for me to see where 0:02:37.919 --> 0:02:47.440 Rush came from by knowing his family. Whether you listened 0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:49.640 every day you are at the E I V Network 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.799 and the Russia Limball program heard on over six hundred 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.000 great radio stations every now and then nation's leading radio 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:59.680 talk show, the most eagerly anticipated program in America. Stories 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:02.440 You Never Hurt from the people behind the scenes who 0:03:02.520 --> 0:03:05.960 knew him best and loved him most. Rushmod Or having 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:08.440 more fundily human being, It should be allowed to hear 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:12.919 Rush Limpough, the man behind the Golden EIP microphone, hosted 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:17.680 by James Golden. Hey, James Golden here, you know what 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:20.480 it's time that you treat yourself to a little bit 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.880 of luxury. You know the company, It's my Pillow. But 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.960 what you may not know is that my Pillow makes 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:31.160 more than just the incredible pillows that have captivated America. 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:36.760 They make sheets. And these aren't just any sheets. These 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:40.920 sheets are smooth, they're soft, They're comfortable. You'll look forward 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:44.520 to getting under these sheets every night. I know I do. 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:49.160 My pillow Geeza sheets have a luxurious feel. 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David, 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.520 how are you doing. I am still in a state 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:47.960 of shock and disbelief. I wake up some days and 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:51.000 I still can't believe it when I hear Russia's voice. 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.200 I'm still part of my mind still can't wrap around 0:04:55.240 --> 0:05:00.480 that Russia's gone. Yeah, it is really u very hard 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:05.320 to believe, and it's tough and I kind of compartmentalize 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:09.279 sometimes and deal with it that way. But I was 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:13.520 very surprised the way it hit. I mean, we expected him, 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:15.720 and we knew it was it was going to happen, 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:17.880 but I didn't think it was imminent. And then when 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:20.760 Catherine called and said he had really taken a turn 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.320 for the worst, my heart sunk. And then it was 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:27.960 downhill from that point. So yeah, I was kind of shocked, 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:32.040 even though we had been well prepared for it. So, David, 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.640 I want to go back with you today to the 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:39.839 beginning of David the younger Brother. I want to know 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:45.560 what life was like in the Limbaugh household. I have 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:50.039 I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting your mom. 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.799 I never met your dad, but I met your mom. 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:58.279 And she was such a wonderful and delightful person. She 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:02.080 had sparkling blue lies. She would send me music. I 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:03.600 don't know whether you know that or not. She would 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:07.280 send me cassettes with music. Yeah, yeah, that she who 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.360 wanted me to hear that. She had an infectious laugh. 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:16.080 She was just such a wonderful person. What was it 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:19.919 like growing up in your house? Well, my mom and 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:23.839 dad were both unique characters in their own right, very different. 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:26.800 My dad was, as I said in that tribute I 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.640 wrote to Rush, he was a lawyer's lawyer and brilliant 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:33.280 and uh he was pretty serious most of the time 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:37.160 and had a worse bark than his bite. Uh. He 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:40.720 was tender at heart. But you know, some people sometimes 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.000 people thought he was gruff, but the truth is he was. 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:46.240 He was really good to us, but he disciplined us, 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:49.000 don't get me wrong. And my mom was just a 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:53.720 cut up. She was a comedian and always funny and happy, 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.600 and everybody loved her, and and everybody loved my dad too. 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:58.680 Don't get me wrong. People would come over. This was 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:01.200 the interesting thing. They come over to our house when 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:05.520 we were kids in high school, and people would our 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:08.960 friends would sit around in the living room and just 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:13.480 listen to my dad pontificate about politics and religion, mostly politics, 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.200 and so it is. It is gratifying to me to 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:21.000 see Rush in his career, put together both of the 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:24.960 best attributes of my parents, uh and turn it into 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:29.120 the most successful radio show in American history. So that's 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:31.440 really cool to me. It's I see both my parents 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.200 in Rush, the best of both of both of them. 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:38.400 And your granddad was still Rush had your granddad on 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:41.600 the air. Your granddad lived to be over a hundred 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:46.240 years old, and he was active. He was still practicing 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.440 lawl right when you would coming here. Oh yeah, I 0:07:49.600 --> 0:07:54.200 joined the firm in and my grandfather was still there, 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:56.720 the patriarch, My dad was there, my uncle was there, 0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:00.560 my cousin Steve uh so a lot of balls there 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:02.880 at the time. In fact, our cousin John started out 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:05.760 there too, So it was very limball heavy and there 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:10.200 were some non limballs there too. And my grandfather continued 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:14.440 until probably nineteen ninety three or four, when he was 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:17.040 almost a hundred four. He died at a hundred four, 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:20.040 but he practiced law almost until the very end. My 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:23.360 dad died four or five years earlier than my grandfather, 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:27.120 so my grandfather outlived him and um, but my grandfather 0:08:27.240 --> 0:08:31.280 was amazing in terms of how vibrant he was and 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:37.200 how brilliant he was still at at an very old age. Okay, 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:42.480 so your kids, what kind I look at my childhood 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:47.840 and I contrasted to what I see kids going today, 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:51.520 and I am so grateful to God that I had 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:55.400 what I considered to be a normal childhood. You know, 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:59.000 went to church, went to school. You know, two parents 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:02.640 in the home. You know, we did things that most 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.719 middle class families did. You know, you go to the church, picnics, 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:09.000 you do? You know? I was a little mischievous in 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:13.080 school and once in a while, and and and but 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:16.920 it was normal. What was your childhood like? This sounds 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.400 like a leading question based on information you have may 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.880 have been supplied to you about our past. And I 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:24.920 don't know whether or not to invoke the fifth or 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:27.600 not at this point, I need to know what your 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:34.000 intentions are. My intentions are you with FBI? What was 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.880 it like, David? That's all my intentions are you? You 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:40.800 wouldn't Russian brothers. You're not that far apart in age. Now. 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:43.480 He's two years older than I am, or he was 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:46.480 two years older than I am. And Uh. We were 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:49.440 mischievous as kids. I mean, I mean, if I told 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:51.960 some of these stories, I wonder if the statute of 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:55.280 limitations is still open on a few of the felonies 0:09:55.360 --> 0:10:00.880 we committed. But I mean we were We were really 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.240 bad on prank phone calls. I mean, it was pretty 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:07.960 much harmless stuff, and we were creative. As I think 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:10.360 I saw in one of these Steve Martin movies or 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.319 I can't remember the name of it, one of his daughters, 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:17.040 who was mischievous, called it a dark gift. Well, she 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.319 had nothing on us. We we were gifted. We had 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:23.440 a dark gift for mischief, and we pulled pranks on 0:10:23.520 --> 0:10:26.559 people all the time, since we sent cabs to people's 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.600 houses that that didn't order, and we ordered pizzas, then 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.120 sent a cab for the pizza to Uh to pick 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:33.719 up the piece and take it to the people's house. 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:37.439 We ordered cabs for residents addresses that were non existent, 0:10:37.880 --> 0:10:41.079 and then we're sitting in the houses by the uh 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:45.319 these non existent residents, and watched these cab guys perplexed. 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:47.600 And I mean it was terribly mean in retrospect, but 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:52.199 you know, we we had uh slowly formed conscious consciousness 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:55.760 at the time, So that's my only excuse. But we 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.480 we had a lot of fun. What was your favorite one? 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:02.400 If you had to pick, Okay, your favorite too, there 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:06.000 was I wonder. I hope no one's still around that 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:09.160 that would have been a victim of this. But we 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.400 we had to know your Bible contest and know your 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.200 American history contests. So we would call people randomly out 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:20.600 of the phone book and ask them, uh, certain totally 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.760 easy questions and then they'd answer them. We'd get them right, 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.720 and so we we told them they'd win prize money. 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:29.080 So we sent cabs to pick them up and take 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.160 them to a certain hotel in town to pick up 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:37.280 their prize money. Keep in mind that there was no contest, 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:40.480 there was no prize money. The cab people weren't in 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:43.200 on it, so I mean, it was it was pathetic 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:45.560 how bad we were, but did you ever get busted? 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:49.520 Not for that. We we got busted. I got taken 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:52.360 to jail on Halloween for throwing balloons at people's cars. 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:56.080 Rush was less was not part of that misdemeanor. But 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.960 we were eight kids, We were walking around, we threw 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.120 I mean, we didn't hurt anything. We bet we got 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:04.320 we got taken to the police station. But no, we 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:07.160 just we just had a lot of fun doing crazy stuff. 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:09.320 But most of it was not miss if I just 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.040 say that because Russ was so tickled about it talking 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.400 about those things we did in later years. But Rush 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:20.240 was very interested in baseball, uh and pursued pitching and 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:24.000 and uh he was a good batter and very good picture. Yeah. 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:26.800 Now when you look back on it, did you get 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.720 any hints? Did you did you notice anything? Because Russ 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:35.120 just talked before about when he started to call games 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:39.480 on using the the TV, turning the sound down on 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:43.839 the TV and calling a baseball game or the the 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:49.800 carvel toy with radio. Did you was that like, were 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.760 you conscious that something was going on there or was 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:56.720 it just kind of he's you know, well it was 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:02.920 We lived on Sunset for twelve Sunset and Cape Girardo Missouri, 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:07.520 and I specifically remember that toy at that address, and 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:11.080 it would you could broadcast on the A M radio 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:14.160 waves within the confines of your home, and so my 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:17.720 mom and I would listen to Rush broadcast either as 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:22.440 a DJ, spinning records and giving his little commentary as 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:27.360 he went, or announcing baseball games as he watched it 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.679 on TV and turning down Dizzy Dean or whoever the 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:34.960 baseball announcer was at the time. So yes, and I 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:38.480 think your question is did we recognize his talent at 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.800 that time when we were just really young, We probably 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:46.920 recognized most his enthusiasm for it, in his devotion to it. 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:48.960 But when we moved over to the other house and 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:54.400 he was fifteen, he went to Dallas to take to 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:59.720 get his radio license, I don't know the technical term. Yes, 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:04.239 and then he then he became a radio disc jockey 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:08.520 on the local station. He was really really talented, especially 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:12.760 for his age, and people started noticing how gifted he was. 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:16.480 We we did some tapes, kind of made an audio 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:21.040 movie and that it was just totally creative and hilarious 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:24.960 and Rush. Rush could do voices. He was a mimic. 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:29.600 He was an impressionist. The first moment that Trump does 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:33.560 anything that he is, the unraveling of an Obama agenda item. 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:38.000 Obama's gonna be on TP. Hey, you know what'll gleat 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:43.920 you're exclusive Trump Trump about Detroit Obama. Sometimes, you know 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:45.600 what I was on a stage like this, I wish 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:47.800 I weren't married. And I can say what I I 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:52.200 really think. I don't mean that in a negative way. 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:55.640 I'm happy. I'm happy, wink wink, you know what I mean. 0:14:57.120 --> 0:14:59.640 So what does my voice sound like? You roy, sound 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:03.600 like Stephen Hawking or something? So like a union FuG 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.440 that's really chipped offered me. And if I don't say 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:08.360 the right thing here, I might be in some trouble 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:11.920 exactly right. Uh And I know that people think he 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.800 brilliant because the way he speaks, and people think people 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:17.440 are brilliant because the way they speak. They say a 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:19.240 lot because that's how you make people think of thinking 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:22.480 when you're talking. And uh so, yeah, if I weren't 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:26.840 married to her, As you know, in each episode, we've 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:30.440 been sharing the biographical journey of Russia's life, chapter by chapter, 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:35.320 narrated by some of Russia's colleagues and closest friends. Today, well, 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:38.840 this guy needs no introduction. Long time listeners to Rush 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:43.360 knew him as f Lee Levin. Today he's a huge 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:49.120 star in his own right, radio broadcaster Mark Levin the 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:53.640 Life of Russia Limbaugh, Chapter four, narrated by Mark Levine. 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:57.760 Despite being fired from his first three jobs in radio, 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.680 Jeff Christy a k A. Rush Limball didn't stay down 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.360 for long. He worked aggressively to return to the airwaves, 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:08.880 and by nineteen seventy five landed the afternoon show at 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:14.880 top forty k u d L in Kansas City. Still, 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:18.880 Russia's time at k u d L was short lived, 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:23.600 listening barely two years before he was let go. For 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:26.880 the first time in his life, Russia had become disenchanted 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:30.360 with radio. After serious thought, he chose to temporarily walk 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.920 away from his dreams of a successful radio career. In 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:37.640 nineteen seventy nine, Rush said, a new career course major 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:41.600 League Baseball. Remember my father when I when I quit radio, 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:44.040 was the happiest he ever was. I quit radio age 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:47.040 because I figured it burned out, that was playing records 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:48.920 the son, what does that mean? I mean, where is 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:50.880 that going to take you? When I got that job 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:54.600 of the Kancity Royals, making thirteen thousand dollars. He was 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.920 happier than he had ever been. Russia's four years with 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.400 the Royals were successful at had to a lifelong friendship 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.719 with Hall of Famer George Brett. After baseball, Rush returned 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:08.240 to radio in three as the afternoon news and sports 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:14.760 anchor at k m b Z Radio. The first time 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.760 in his career used his given name on the airwaves, 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:21.520 Rush Limbaugh. But he even boasted to his general manager quote, 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:23.879 It's only a matter of time before you're going to 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:27.840 fire me. Russia's prediction became his reality, and after less 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:30.679 than a year at camb Z, he was out by 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.440 Rush replaced Morton Downey Jr. In mid days on kf 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:39.080 b K and Sacramento. Kf b K was a perfect 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.960 fit for Rush, and he was soon dominating the market 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:43.720 in his time slot. I finally got to do a 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:46.080 radio show the way I wanted to do it, the 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:48.160 things that I cared about, the things I thought people 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.800 would listen to, and it was basically just sharing my passions. 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:54.400 I love sharing my passions. I come up with things 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.280 are passion and I want everybody to know about it 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.000 and want everybody experienced it. I want everybody to agree, 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:02.679 and finally all came together for me in Sacramento, California. 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:06.400 After three years of ratings success in Sacramento, Rush left 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:10.000 KFBK to become part of ED McLaughlin snowly formed e 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:14.560 f M Media Network. Still, his departure from kf b 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:16.920 K was better. Sweet. I'm just the guy in the radio. 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:20.760 When I started this thirty years ago, I never envisioned 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:24.159 any of this happening. What I wanted to become was 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:26.199 the best radio guy in the country. I had this 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:30.280 great opportunity. I could be me, I could be honest, 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.720 I could talk about whatever I wanted to talk about, 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:34.920 and there was nobody that could tell me I couldn't. 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:37.119 And I have to, folks, I have to tell you 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:40.639 it is the greatest blessing that I've ever had, is 0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:43.159 to have the opportunity I do each and every day. 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:48.000 Born from the tragedy of nine eleven, the Tunnel to 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:52.920 Towers Foundation supports our nation's fallen and catastrophically injured service members, 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:58.440 first responders, and their families. Thanks to your generosity, the 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.800 Stand Up for Betsy Rose k Pain, a five million 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:06.000 dollar donation was made to the foundation to honor dozens 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:10.040 of heroes killed or injured in the line of duty 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:15.480 protecting our communities and our freedom. That's shocking, that's disorienting, 0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:19.159 that's life changing enough, But the prospect of losing a 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:22.159 home and losing everything else and not knowing where to 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:27.240 go next. Helping to maintain the nest, to maintain the 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:33.399 home is one of the great offers of security that 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:36.840 people in these circumstances need, and you've made it all possible. 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:41.920 Your help changed lives forever for the better. Now, I'm 0:19:42.000 --> 0:19:45.439 asking you to join Tone to Towers on their mission 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:50.800 to do good for America's heroes and their families. Donate 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:55.000 eleven dollars a month at T two t dot org. 0:19:55.440 --> 0:20:06.760 That's t the number two t dot org. So Rush 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:10.239 was it disc jockey at a young age. He's a 0:20:10.280 --> 0:20:14.879 teenage disc jockey in Cape Girardo. Did this lead to 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:19.000 him being popular? Was he in the m crowd in school? 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:21.320 How did that affect his life and and how did 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:25.439 it affect the family's life? Well, Rush was never really 0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:29.240 into school and he was not that social at a 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:31.439 young age when he was just a workaholic. He was 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:37.119 so into his radio show, uh that that he worked 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:39.760 all the time, and he just loved it. And but 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:42.040 it's kind of a foreshadowing of what would happen. I mean, 0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:47.400 imagine having been diagnosed with terminal cancer in his final year. 0:20:48.080 --> 0:20:52.119 He gets his life energy uh of course from the 0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:56.840 family and friends, but his primary source of energy and 0:20:57.040 --> 0:21:00.919 motivation to live, in my opinion, was his love for 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:05.160 his audience and and what he did, uh, and his job. 0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:08.320 He loved doing what he did, and that was the 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:11.680 case when he first started out. So while he would 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:15.800 have been popular had he had had his priorities been there, 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:19.719 he mainly just loved to work. But he developed some 0:21:19.760 --> 0:21:22.320 friends in in the class ahead of him a few 0:21:22.400 --> 0:21:25.520 years later when he was like seventeen and eighteen. They 0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.400 they took a particular interest in Russi. He was more 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:31.680 mature minded than and more serious. I mean, he's a comedian, 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:33.560 don't me wrong, but you know what I mean, he's 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:37.000 he's a serious minded person in his real life. And 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:40.120 so he's a guy who never wore blue jeans. For example, 0:21:41.119 --> 0:21:44.160 I could never remembering him wearing blue jeans. And these 0:21:44.200 --> 0:21:46.760 guys sought him out, these older guys, and they ended 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:49.160 up becoming really good friends. They were at our house 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:51.600 all the time, and I I latched onto them like 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:53.720 a little kid. But it was just fun having those 0:21:53.720 --> 0:21:56.640 guys around. And so Rush was extremely popular with them 0:21:56.680 --> 0:21:59.080 and they looked up to him. They saw his talent 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:03.080 from an ELA's. But truthfully, before that, I think he 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:05.320 didn't have as big as social life because he was 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:08.760 more into his work and that that. You know, it's 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:12.240 almost like he was a mirror of his younger self 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:15.119 from what you were describing. Yes, that is so true. 0:22:15.520 --> 0:22:19.000 And he always stayed true to himself. He he did 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:22.280 what he wanted to do. Uh, and luckily what he 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:24.919 wanted to do was productive and wholesome. I mean, he 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:26.720 wanted to be on the radio and he wanted to 0:22:26.760 --> 0:22:31.000 work hard, and those are all obviously good values. Uh. 0:22:31.080 --> 0:22:33.040 There's been a lot of you didn't ask me this, 0:22:33.080 --> 0:22:35.040 but I might as well anticipate it and answer it. 0:22:35.359 --> 0:22:37.840 People have said, well, your dad wanted him. He was 0:22:37.960 --> 0:22:40.840 probably disappointed because he didn't go to college and didn't 0:22:40.880 --> 0:22:44.040 become a lawyer and all that. And my dad, like 0:22:44.160 --> 0:22:47.600 any parent back then, wanted us to go to college. 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:52.359 But he never pressured Rush to go into law. My 0:22:52.440 --> 0:22:55.439 dad was not that way. He just believed that the 0:22:55.480 --> 0:22:59.680 best avenue to becoming well rounded for later success was college. 0:23:00.080 --> 0:23:02.520 You know, they they betted heads about that because Rush 0:23:02.560 --> 0:23:05.240 saw no value in it. He knew, he knew his 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:07.440 own head, he knew his own heart, he knew he 0:23:07.480 --> 0:23:09.600 didn't want to do it. He did it on his own. 0:23:09.640 --> 0:23:12.360 He did it his way. My dad has been unfairly 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:15.240 criticized for pressuring Rusciple or he never did it, and 0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:17.119 he never did it. He did want to keep him 0:23:17.160 --> 0:23:18.800 in school, and I think that was a reasonable thing, 0:23:18.840 --> 0:23:21.320 and even Rush would have said later, there's no way 0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:24.719 my dad could have anticipated that Rush would break all 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:29.200 odds and be phenomenally successful, not going the conventional route. 0:23:29.520 --> 0:23:33.320 So I think Rush, as you say, from the from 0:23:33.320 --> 0:23:36.320 the time he was young until the time he died, 0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:39.480 knew his own head, and he was a reflection of 0:23:39.800 --> 0:23:41.840 his when when he was an older person, he was 0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:44.240 a reflection of his younger person. But that's simply because 0:23:44.320 --> 0:23:47.200 because he never changed, he always knew what he wanted 0:23:47.200 --> 0:23:49.840 and he went for it. Well, I want to talk 0:23:49.880 --> 0:23:52.200 to you about you for a few minutes, because you 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:55.800 just said something about you knew what you wanted to 0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:59.240 do earlier on in life. Too, and you wanted to 0:23:59.320 --> 0:24:02.560 be a lawyer, and did you also want to be 0:24:02.640 --> 0:24:07.400 a writer. Because you're an accomplished writer. Between your writings 0:24:07.440 --> 0:24:13.520 on the political and cultural scene in America and you're 0:24:13.680 --> 0:24:20.520 exceptionally gifted books on Christianity, you have carved out a 0:24:20.560 --> 0:24:24.919 real niche for yourself. Interesting question, I I have. Uh, 0:24:25.400 --> 0:24:27.879 I first one to acknowledge that that, regardless of how 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:31.280