1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Thank all of you for listening to this podcast. Were 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: as you know, this podcast is devoted to russlan Ball, 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: my hero, my friend, my boss, the greatest broadcaster in 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: my opinion, whoever lived. And behind every great broadcaster, though 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: there's an organization, there are people that make what happens happen. 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: You don't just go into a room one day and decide, Okay, 7 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be a broadcasters. Somebody's there turns on the mic, 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: well okay, and here you are. Know this happens as 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: a result of a lot of hard work, not just 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: on the part of what in the industry is referred 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: to as talent. That would be what wrestling ball would 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: be the talent, But behind every person that's the talent, 13 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: there have to be so many other jobs. And people 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: don't really realize a lot of people don't that are 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: not in this industry. What it takes to have a 16 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: very successful radio career. Well, you need people that have 17 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: a radio stations number one, and they want to put 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: you on those radio stations. But you are not going 19 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 1: to those radio stations yourself. There are people that do 20 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: that for you. There are people who sell your program 21 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: for you so that you have advertisers. There are people 22 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: who market your program for you so that the country 23 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: knows who you are the way that you want to 24 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: be framed. There are people that do so many jobs, 25 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: and we have what in arnest is called traffic. Most 26 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: people wouldn't know what that is. What traffic deals with 27 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: the commercials, how they're placed, where they are placed. We 28 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: have engineers like the great engineers like Brian Johnson and 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: Mike Mamone, who you hear from at some point in 30 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: this podcast series. But then there are the executives, the 31 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: guys that say yay, the guys are saying nay, the 32 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: guys that make things happen behind the scenes. And in 33 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: the radio industry, there is a man and I've referred 34 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: to him in earlier episodes who would be the equivalent 35 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: of a household name. You cannot be in the radio 36 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: industry or not know who he is because he is 37 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: the most successful executive there is in the broadcast industry. 38 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: He's brought more people that have talent to light. He 39 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: is one of the nicest men you will ever meet 40 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: in life, unless you cross him, and then he'll be 41 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: your worst enemy. He is um. People don't know the 42 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: generosity of his spirit. Maybe I'll be able to get 43 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: some of that out because I know some things about 44 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: him over the years that a lot of people don't. 45 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: But he was with Rush for the last twenty years 46 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: or some more. And he also runs This will show 47 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: you the stature the Radio Hall of Fame. He's a legend. 48 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: His name is Craig Kitchen, and Craig is here with 49 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: us today. Whether you listened every day, you are at 50 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: the E I B Network and the Russia Limball Program 51 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: heard on over six hundred great radio stations where every 52 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: now and then nation's leading radio talk show, the most 53 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: eagerly inticipated program in em are the stories you've never 54 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: heard from the people behind the scenes who knew him 55 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: best and loved him most. Rushman War having more fundily 56 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: human being, it could be allowed to have Rush Limbaugh, 57 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,119 Speaker 1: the man behind the Golden E I D Microphone, hosted 58 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: by James Golden. Through the Stand Up for Betsy Ross campaign, 59 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: you changed the lives of dozens of hero families in need. 60 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: The campaign benefited The Tunnels Are Towers Foundation Tunnel to 61 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Towers Bills mortgage free smart homes for our nation's most 62 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: catastrophically injured veterans and first responders to give them their independence. 63 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: For gold star families and fallen first respond to families 64 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: with young children, Tunnel to Towers pays off mortgages in 65 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: full for these families and provides them with the comfort 66 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: of a home when their world has literally been turned 67 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: upside down. And thanks to this campaign to Stand Up 68 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: for Betsy Ross campaign, you have seen to it that 69 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: we have been able to send a charitable donation in 70 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: total of five million dollars to Tunnel the Towers. Your kindness, 71 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: generosity and patriotism brought hope when it was needed most 72 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: but more of America's heroes in their families need your support. 73 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: Donate eleven dollars a month to Tunnel to Towers at 74 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: T two t dot org. That's the litteral t the 75 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: number two t dot org. So Craig, welcome, Thank you, 76 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: very kind to where it's I'm not sure I deserve 77 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: all of them, but thank you you do deserve all 78 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: of them. Now let me ask you a question, Craig, 79 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:58,679 Speaker 1: how did you meet rush? I met Russia? When Premier 80 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: Networks obtain the distribution rights of Russia's program From Ed 81 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: McLaughlin and the FM Media a financial transaction, the first 82 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: one that really really put Russia Lumball's radio program value 83 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: on the map for the industry. It gave ed McLaughlin 84 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: the funds to retire very comfortably on It gave rush 85 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 1: Uh an incredible stipend to continue wanting to be on 86 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 1: radio and to focus on it. And most importantly, it 87 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: gave him the the underwire and the current and the 88 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: background and the backbone to say, I can do this 89 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: for as long as I want to, because I've got 90 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: a company that's got my back and got my resources 91 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: and has every last thing he needs. And that was Premiere, 92 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: and you founded Premiere Radio Networks. There were six of 93 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: us that founded Premiere, and it took ten years of 94 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: growth and hard work to be able to earn the 95 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: trust of personalities like Russia Lumbaugh to be able to say, 96 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: that's a company that I can be with that I 97 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: know we'll have my back. How did you get in radio? 98 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: I mean, how do you what's your story? I was 99 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: an air personality in nineteen eighty one, in nineteen eighty two, 100 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: and I was very mediocre when I was behind the microphone, 101 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: very mediocre. But by eighty three I had discovered that 102 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: I was very good behind the scenes helping people realize 103 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: their full potential, and so I took some time to 104 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: learn how to sell advertising and how the radio industry worked, 105 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: and by nine eight seven I had found half a 106 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: dozen partners who wanted to make what in the radio 107 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: industry we call a radio network, a place where air 108 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: personalities like yourself could come and be their very best, 109 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: and that radio network would find radio stations to be 110 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: heard on and advertisers to pay your paycheck. What was 111 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: it like when you first met Rush? What what when 112 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: you for the first time? It was in New York 113 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: City and Rush was broadcasting that week from w ABC, 114 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: And like a lot of individuals that come to New 115 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: York City and go to work, Rush was suit and 116 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: tie that day and very very formal and very focused 117 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: on his radio program. And we had arranged some time 118 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: in the morning to have a meeting, and in that 119 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: time when I met him, I had no idea how 120 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: focused he was between eight thirty and noon when he 121 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: first went on the air. But for some reason, the 122 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: meeting time that he had set up was at ten 123 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: thirty in the morning, and so I went to have 124 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: a meeting thinking we're going to spend the next hour, 125 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: hour and a half talking until noon. Because Rush made 126 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: it look and listen so easy that to anybody who 127 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: ever has tuned in to listen to him, it sounds 128 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: like it is a gift from God that the microphones open, 129 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: the music plays, and he just starts talking to you 130 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: as your best friend. I had no idea that he 131 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: spent the better part of fifteen hours leading up to 132 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: that moment preparing for that show. So on that morning 133 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: in New York City, I find the equivalent suit and 134 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: tie for that, and I go to w ABC to 135 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: meet the man I'm just about to sign a new 136 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: four year agreement with and start working with. And I'm thinking, 137 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: we've got the better part of ninety minutes just to 138 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: get to know each other. And you find out very 139 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: quickly you have about eight minutes, and those eight minutes 140 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: better counts. And so we had a great eight minutes together, 141 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: and we understood that we were going to be working 142 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: together again, and he made it very clear to me 143 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: that he's got it really all figured out, and I 144 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: just and I needed to find my groove and my 145 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: rhythm and my relationship with the different staff members that 146 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: he was working with at the time, but he could 147 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: not have been warmer and more gregarious in that period 148 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: of time. Rush has an ability, when he meets somebody 149 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: for the first time, to be singularly focused on you 150 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 1: and make sure you feel like you are the single 151 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: most important person in his mind. And you have that. 152 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: So I left feeling absolutely fantastic. I'm sure you have 153 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: felt that, and others who have appeared on this podcast 154 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: is said the same thing. Do you know who else 155 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: that that very description. There's one other person I've heard 156 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: that very description about Bill Clinton, that ability to focus 157 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: in on you so clearly that you think you're the 158 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: only one, You're the only one that exists, and and 159 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: he's there for you every single moment. And you've got that, 160 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: You've got that that ability to Craig, thank you. You 161 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: know it's it's it's either in your nature's or not 162 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: in your nature. I don't stop and take inventory of 163 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: myself that way. But um I certainly saw that and 164 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: felt that in the first time that I got to 165 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: meet Russian if I were of the attitude that my 166 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 1: primary goal was to go in that studio every day 167 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: and make sure that America heard everything I said. And 168 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: acted on it. You know, the ratings of the show, 169 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: which is Plumber. I think I just happened to be 170 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: saying what a whole lot of people think they don't 171 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: have a chance to say themselves. That's why they called 172 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:03,679 Speaker 1: me the most dangerous man in America. As you know, 173 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: on this series, we've been talking with some of Russia's friends, 174 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: his colleagues, and family members. Today we have a very 175 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: special guest on Russia, Limbaugh, the man behind the Golden 176 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 1: the I B. Mike. He's a special friend of our program. 177 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: In fact, he's come down to our Southern Command to 178 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: interview Rush for his television show any number of times. 179 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: Every time it was like a family reunion, A dear 180 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,599 Speaker 1: friend to Rush, a dear friend to the Russia Limbaugh Program. 181 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: Sean Hannity The Life of Russia Limbaugh, Chapter three, narrated 182 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: by Sean Hannity. After during a painful year of college 183 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: at Southeastern Missouri University, young Rush Limbaugh, he bid farewell 184 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: to college life and then immersed himself into his next 185 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: big radio job. After loading up his nineteen sixty nine 186 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: Pontiac Lamans, Rush headed east with dreams of making it 187 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: big in the Iron City. D J Rusty Sharp from 188 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: Cape Dorado, Missouri, was soon reborn as Bachelor Jeff Christie, 189 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: first hosting an afternoon drive shift and later holding down 190 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 1: the morning show on Wixie thirteen sixty, known as one 191 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:20,079 Speaker 1: of Pittsburgh's premier top forty radio stations, continues with much 192 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: slid rock and goal seven three in the morning. I 193 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: wish he saw Jeff Radio networked from sixte want to 194 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: have a big hand for Mr and Mrs Arnold Feluci, 195 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: a couple of new members for the Christie Radio network 196 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: this morning, celebrating refrigerator favorites. Jeff Christie lasted barely eighteen 197 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 1: months on w i Z before he was fired. I 198 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: was in the fall of nineteen seventy two over what 199 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: were described as quote differences over format. His departure from 200 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: Wixie thirteen sixty quickly led to a bigger opportunity for Rush. 201 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 1: It's a k h Jeff Christie and in early nineteen 202 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: seventy three, Crosstown Top forty competitor k q V Radio 203 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: Well they hired him to be their new nighttime DJ. 204 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: That afforded Rush an even bigger platform and another opportunity 205 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 1: to further develop his on air persona hey qu V 206 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: three g K Jeff Christy Rocky Roll radio show Friday 207 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: Night Johnson minutes away from forty four not stopping right 208 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: out of statistics. Jeff Christie was beginning to hone future 209 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 1: on air skills would eventually become the trademarks of Rush 210 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: Limbaugh's excellence in broadcasting. Now, Rush would soon learn success 211 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,959 Speaker 1: in radio is kind of fickle, especially a station ownership 212 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: change his hands, and a dramatic turn of events. The 213 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: lame duck k QUB management well, they pushed the new 214 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: program director to fire Rush, and ninety days later Rush 215 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 1: Limbaugh Jeff Christie was out of work. When I got fired, 216 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: I thought I was finished. I'd given it a shot. 217 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: D J didn't work out. I didn't want to do 218 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: anything else. This has been my one passion. And then 219 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: a stinging rebuke that Rush would remember for decades. The 220 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: station's general manager told the twenty something Rush Limbaugh that 221 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: he would quote never make it in radio as an 222 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: air talent, and that he should strongly consider the sales 223 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: end of the radio business. I had an interview with 224 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: a sales manager at the station that the guy was 225 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,719 Speaker 1: a genuine lunatic. He's I'm just me. I'm interviewing for 226 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: the job, and he's yelling and screaming at me about 227 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: what his demands will be and what they are, and 228 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: I said, he's not gonna face this every day. So, 229 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: after three years of trying to make a go of 230 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: it in Pittsburgh, while Rush was out of another radio gig, 231 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: Feeling defeated and dejected, he returned to the security and 232 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: comfort of his home in Cape Girardo, Missouri. Russia was down, 233 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: but as we all know, far from out, his determination 234 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: for success far outweighed the idea of failure. The long 235 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: version here telling you that this has been That's why 236 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: I'm so fortunate I've I was able to end up 237 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: doing what I think I was born to do. I've 238 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: never had passion for anything else, I mean, career wise, 239 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: like I've got for this. Not long ago, Mike Lindell, 240 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: the inventor of My Pillow, and his team fit me 241 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: for my very own my pillow. They also introduced me 242 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: to their other incredible products, like their mattress topper, sheets, towels, slippers, 243 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: and more. Sleep is important to me, and I assumed 244 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: to you too. 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All My Pillow products come with 254 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: a sixty day money back guarantee into promo code icon. 255 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: That's I c o N. You've been with all of 256 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: us for so long. Let me go back through that 257 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: that day because that day was so profound. Like I said, 258 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: you could you called us at different times. Dawn said, 259 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: I didn't know until today that you had talked to 260 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: Dawn the night before you talked to me that morning 261 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: you talked to Brian. When did you find out what 262 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: was going on with Rusha's illness? And what was your 263 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: reaction when you heard it? And who did you hear 264 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: it from? I heard it from Rush and Catherine and 265 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: I had heard it the week before and late in 266 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: the week before, and so I learned in a very 267 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: very difficult conversation from Rush that he had advanced lung cancer. 268 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: And like you, we had seen some irregularities in his 269 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: on air behavior and his availability in a couple of 270 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: weeks leading up to that. Rush is a very private 271 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: person and if he chooses to take a day off, 272 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: it's for a very important reason, and typically he does 273 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: not need to tell you you're on an information need 274 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: to know basis. But he had taken several days off 275 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: over the last three weeks leading up to February three UM, 276 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: and so late the week before we had an afternoon 277 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: phone conversation, which is rare because Rush typically did not 278 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: like to use the telephone for conversations. Email was one form, 279 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: text messaging may have been another form, but in this 280 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: particular case, he had asked to have a phone conversation 281 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: that afternoon, and so he shared the new news that 282 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: he had advanced lung cancer and that he had been 283 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: diagnosed not once but twice, to get a confirmation that 284 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: he was dealing with that. In my time with Rush, 285 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: I have learned to um work with him. When he 286 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: lost his hearing like you did. I have worked with 287 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: him when he's had some problems with other parts of 288 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: his body, you know, one of them being you know, 289 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: as a man gets older in life, is your heart 290 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: working regularly? What do you do in terms of good 291 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: heart health? All of those things, And now along I 292 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: hear advanced lung cancer, and I also heard a confidence 293 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: in his voice that he had been diagnosed once but twice, 294 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: but that there was a good group of doctors, a 295 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: team of doctors and scientists that were going to come 296 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: to help him. And because I had lived through the 297 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: worst of life with Rush in his health and a 298 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: couple of different capacities. To me, Rush was a man 299 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: who had incredible mental capabilities if he put his into something, 300 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: if you focused on it, if he looked for the answers. 301 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: And I was right behind him and saying, we're going 302 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: to get all the resources that you need for this, 303 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: knowing full well that he had his wife Catherine to 304 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: help him, that he had a good group of people 305 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: to go to. So he shared with me several days 306 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,640 Speaker 1: before I had the chance to share with you, and 307 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: he asked me to maintain my quietness, And so I 308 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: carried that conversation in my mind apart from any other 309 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: human being until that Monday when he wanted to be 310 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: the one to share with you. And aside from you James, 311 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: and and Don and Brian, who were the nucleus the 312 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 1: family of four in the studio, there were twenty more 313 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: people that are on our team and they're all over 314 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: the United States, and he felt it was important to 315 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,880 Speaker 1: share the news simultaneously with each of you because just 316 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: like he has relationships with you that are so uniquely special, 317 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: he has the same with individuals in New York and 318 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles and and other parts of the United 319 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: States that will work together to make the program, the website, 320 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: the Limball letter, all of those pieces. So that was 321 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: the day, and we took into account everybody's schedule so 322 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: that we could get everybody together before the show. You 323 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: talk to everybody on the staff pretty much. I did, 324 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: so I tried my best to get in touch with 325 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: each of the staff without disclosing to them what we 326 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: are going to be talking about, and without putting fear 327 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: and worry. You know, one of our team members was 328 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: driving that morning six and a half hours to get 329 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: to that meeting, Dawn, and the thing that carried in 330 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,199 Speaker 1: My mind was, you don't want to tell somebody news 331 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: that is gonna hinder their ability to safely drive. You 332 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: want her to arrive safely for that meeting. Um, So 333 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: you find a balance, You find a way to get 334 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: it done and so that everybody is there together for 335 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: what it's going to be one of the toughest days 336 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: of their life. Rush was so stoic when he did. 337 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: I mean you, you know, there was not a lot 338 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: of emotion going on, except which I still to this day, 339 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: can I believe that he actually apologized to us and 340 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: said that he and said somehow he thought he was 341 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: letting us down. That still blows my mind. But aside 342 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: from that, he was he could have been. He was 343 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: so stoic about it all. He started that conversation as 344 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: if it was just a staff meeting, and we did 345 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: never had staff meetings, right, right, two of them in 346 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: twenty five years of working together. Right. But you're right 347 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 1: he was stoic that moment. Did you get any hint 348 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: to whether he was scared or what? You had another 349 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 1: conversation with him, do you? And and and like all 350 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: of us, we all have different relationships with him. Your 351 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,719 Speaker 1: relationship with Rush was was different than ourards. It was 352 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: you as business partner. Yes, So what was what did 353 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,719 Speaker 1: you get from him? Um? I got the fact that 354 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: he was resolved to get the best medical treat meant 355 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: I got the fact or I got the sensation that 356 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: he was up against something that he had never come 357 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: up against before. That it was much more serious than 358 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: losing his hearing and making your living as a talk 359 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,959 Speaker 1: show host. It was much more serious than um, worrying 360 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: about family health history and having it happened to you. 361 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,640 Speaker 1: I got mom Millie died of lung cancer, and Milly 362 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: was for those I I had. I had a lot 363 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 1: of great interactions with Milly. Milly would would mail me 364 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:37,719 Speaker 1: cousettes of music. We love talking about music together. Um. 365 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: When Rush in the early days, we'd go like places, 366 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: Milly would would be there and Milli and I always 367 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: hung out. I remember rocking Kristen to sleep, David's daughter 368 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: when she was a baby while I was, you know, 369 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: speaking with Milly and I were having a conversation when 370 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: I was It's like memories like that that that that 371 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: stick out. Would you remember James, for instance, the fact 372 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: that Rush talked to his mom, Millie every day until 373 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: she passed away. How many adult grown men who do 374 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: not live in the same city with their mother as 375 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: high profile and is busy and in demand as that 376 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 1: gentleman was, would find time to talk to his mother 377 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: every day. Every day, I'd go home to visit my mother, 378 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: and I'd get there to be a hundred and fifty 379 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 1: books stacked up on the table in the dining room 380 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 1: that she'd collected from people have been sending them in. 381 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: And I said, Mother, I'm coming here to get away 382 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:31,360 Speaker 1: from the no son you, but these people love you. 383 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:33,360 Speaker 1: You got to send me those books, and you've got 384 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 1: to sign them so I can send them back. I said, 385 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna have time to talk to you. That's okay. 386 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: You have to pay attention to these people. She just 387 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 1: the fact that people all over the country loved her 388 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: little boy just was was the greatest thing that ever 389 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: happened to her, and she wanted to make sure that 390 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: they knew that our family appreciated him. It's just like 391 00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: his dad all over. He is just the political his 392 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: dad's alcoholic city and got his smart from his dad. 393 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: And I must say silliness from me. Do you know 394 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: I found a picture it's not It's not the greatest 395 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: picture in the world. But I found over the weekend 396 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: a picture of Rush had had rented a yacht for 397 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: those of us on the show, and we this was 398 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: when we were still up at w ABC and and 399 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: so it was party night around Manhattan in this yacht 400 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: and Milly was there. And I found a picture of 401 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: Rush giving Milly a kiss on the lips and it 402 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: was just the sweetest I just couldn't believe. It's like, Wow, 403 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: I don't even remember taking that picture, but I but 404 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: I found that picture. I'm glad you have that. Yeah. Yeah, 405 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: So Craig, before we I want to get back to 406 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: talking about Rush, but I also want to talk about 407 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: something that you do. Okay, I'm gonna say one word 408 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: and Africa. I've been to Africa. What have you done 409 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: in Africa? What do you what brought you to Africa. 410 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 1: One of the other radio personalities that I work with 411 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: is a woman by the name of Delilah I Love Ali, 412 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: Glad to hear it. She has a radio program at 413 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: night where she plays love songs and takes dedications and 414 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: I've had the chance to work with her every day 415 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 1: since two thousand and four. So for the last seventeen 416 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: years or so. Uh Delilah took an interest in two 417 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 1: thousand and four in a woman who wrote her a 418 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: letter asking if she would adopt her black children from Africa, 419 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: from Ghana, in particular, because she had heard that she 420 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: was a white woman living in America who adopted black children. 421 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,919 Speaker 1: And it's true. Delilah has adopted some fifteen children in 422 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 1: her life and at that time she had adopted six. 423 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: Delilah thought the letter might have been bogus, and later 424 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: it turned out to be real. And when she confirmed 425 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: that it was real, she actually traveled for the first 426 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: time outside of the United States, da Ghana, and when 427 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: she was there, she met eighty thousand Liberians, or a 428 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 1: population of eighty thousand Liberians living in a refugee camp 429 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: in Ghana who had fled a war in Liberia, a 430 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: civil war in Liberia, and fled for their lives. And 431 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: she went on that trip and came back very much 432 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: changed and said, these are people who live without fresh water. 433 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: I have to get them freshwater. It's the only way 434 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: they're going to live. And she went on to tell 435 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: me that in the little clinic that was there serving 436 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: all of them, most of the children born in that 437 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: community passed away because of poor hygiene, poor water standards, 438 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: and so I from Afar helped Delilah find a way 439 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: to raise the money to build water wells, and unfortunately 440 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: they turned out to be saltwater wells and they were unproductive. 441 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 1: And so in two thousand and eight I took myself 442 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: to Ghana four times to negotiate with the country of 443 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: Ghana and the municipalities there to bring fresh water to 444 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: that population of Liberians. Still to this day they drank 445 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: fresh water for the equivalent of about cents per family 446 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: per week because of the generosity of Delilah and the 447 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 1: intestinal affortitude that I found and just making a deal 448 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: that the country of Ghana could not refuse. Greig Kitchen 449 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: is a deal maker. But we have a nickname for you. 450 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: Are you going to reveal it or am I? I 451 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: think it's best coming from the hostess Ray Donovan. We 452 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: called Craig Kitchen. Ray Donovan is Craig gets it done, okay, 453 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: like Brian gets it done. Craig gets it done, but 454 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: it's on a whole another level, okay. So I aspire 455 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: to be as productive and get it done as Brian 456 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:37,120 Speaker 1: Johnson boy, I thought it would be helpful to define 457 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: conservatism for people because nobody else was Everybody has assumed 458 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: conservatisms this or about small government, less taxes and all 459 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: this stuff. But it's really about people. It's about our 460 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 1: understanding of people. It's about our faith trust in people. 461 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: It's about the knowledge that it is people that make 462 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: a great nation, and it's ordinary people pursuing an accomplishing 463 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: extraordinary things with the freedom the ambition to do so. 464 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: And I just thought it needed to be pointed out 465 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: the love and compassion that you in this audience have 466 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: shown consistently for thirty one years. Greig, you know you 467 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: were the first person I guess that Catherine told to 468 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: in our organization would Rush. What was that conversation. She 469 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: was and is a very strong woman when it comes 470 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,400 Speaker 1: to so many things, including looking out for the best 471 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: interest of Rush. And she was very composed and very 472 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 1: strong when she shared the news that Rush was carrying cancer, 473 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: lung cancer, advanced lung cancer, and she wanted to be 474 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: there start to finish for him in every way, to 475 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 1: organize the doctors that he could learn from the visits, 476 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: that he could take, the medicines that he might benefit 477 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: from the care when he was away from his doctors, 478 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: that she could arrange for the first time. She thought 479 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,679 Speaker 1: about the fact that with all this high profile nature 480 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: and the tabloid press being what it is, that maybe 481 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: there was a need for security during this period of 482 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 1: time to ensure that Russia's privacy was kept intact. Because 483 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 1: she shares a lot of interest with Rush and the 484 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: rest of the family at that time that his legacy 485 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: was very important, she wanted to pay attention to that too. 486 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: So all of that came in the form of some 487 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: of the first conversations that we had once Rush shared 488 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,719 Speaker 1: with us that he had advanced lung cancer. When did 489 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: you find out that Russia had passed in the morning, 490 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: two hours before our radio program was to go on. 491 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: UM you had seen him um for the last time 492 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: in the studio on a Tuesday afternoon, I think about 493 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: three o'clock, and as you know, he wanted to be 494 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: on the air on that Wednesday, wanted to be on 495 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: the air that Thursday, on that Friday, and UM, each 496 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: day was a day by day circumstance. You know, there 497 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: was not a guarantee that he was going to be 498 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 1: on the air, but we had guest hosts that were 499 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: on standby and back up and made available. And that morning, 500 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: at about ten o'clock Eastern, I heard from Catherine that 501 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: our beloved Rush had passed away. And UM, you prepare 502 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: for that day that it comes. I wasn't prepared until 503 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: that day comes, and then you're not prepared. Nothing prepares 504 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: you for that. You could be the strongest human being 505 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: on the planet Earth, but nothing prepares you for that loss. 506 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: I still I always till the day that, till the 507 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: day that did you call me and you told me? 508 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,719 Speaker 1: I thought that he was going to recover? And then 509 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: I back on some things, and I'm like, wait a minute, 510 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: I look back when things differently, Like he would tell us, 511 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: like we were in the studio and he would say 512 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: things like, well, I'm I'm around in a second and 513 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: I won my way to third and I was like, okay, 514 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 1: well pretty soon you'll be home. And I thought home was, 515 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: um was you know, we missioned the recovery. And lately 516 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: I've been wondering about that. I don't I wonder whether 517 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: he knew what was going on and he's you know, 518 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: and whether he was really indicating that he was really 519 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: headed to to home to return that talent back from 520 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: whence it came, you know, So I wondered about that. 521 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: I had a dream about Russia the other night, which 522 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: I still don't continue to quite understand. You know, he 523 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: didn't have the beard his earnest hemingway. Look, and in 524 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: the dream, Brian and Don and we were talking with 525 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: Rush and um Rush, it was like present. He said, Look, 526 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna beat this. I'm I'm we don't you guys, 527 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: stop worrying. I'm gonna beat this. Everything is gonna be fine. 528 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: And it's just weird. I'm wondering, like, well, what does 529 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: that dream about? And I think the more I think 530 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: about that one, the more that that I think that 531 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: he's telling us to do what we need to do, 532 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: that he's cool, that he's fine. You know, it's weird 533 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: because he cared about Rush had an ego that that 534 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: any great performance has to have. He had an ego 535 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: about his profession. He had an ego about who he 536 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: was in the radio business. He had an ego about 537 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: everything that he did in the radio business. At three o'clock, 538 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,479 Speaker 1: that ego was gone, and you came first. Whatever it was, 539 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: it was about you first and not not him. He 540 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: was really like selfless. So he worried a lot about 541 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: like this notion that that he's letting us down. And 542 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: he that's not the only time he said it. He 543 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: said before that that he has a lot of people 544 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: on the staff depending on him. Well, unlike a lot 545 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: of organizations and a lot of businesses, there was no 546 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: turn off at the E I B Network, And if 547 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: it was, it was so rare we could count them 548 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: on less than one hand. He never asked for our loyalty. 549 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 1: It just came about because you witnessed him giving you 550 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: his very best, and you wanted to give him your 551 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: very best in return. And you saw the talent on 552 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: loan from God, and you wanted to raise your game 553 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: to be able to do it in your own way, 554 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: in your own capacity. And so no one left the 555 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: E I B Network. And so it's it would make 556 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: sense that a man who is as humble as he is, 557 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: who is appreciative of the fact that James you stopped 558 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 1: your life and your career on air in the year 559 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: two thousand to come back to help Rush when he 560 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,239 Speaker 1: was suddenly losing his hearing and he needed somebody that 561 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: he could trust to talk to listeners and to help 562 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: him in the privacy of a three hour studio, just 563 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: like he welcomed Brian, just like he welcomed On. That's 564 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: a man who broadcast by himself for years, turned on 565 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: his own broadcast equipment, figured it out his own microphone, 566 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: found his way through compu serve and any other computer iteration. 567 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: He loved his privacy, So for him to give up 568 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: his privacy at a time when you sacrificed your own 569 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: on your career was something he never forgot. And I 570 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: think that he displayed it to you in the way 571 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: that he wanted to apologize to you for letting you 572 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: down that day. He never let me down every but 573 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: that day that he was so together when he shared 574 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: the news with us at the beginning, I think he 575 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: felt that he needed to be strong for us, and 576 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: that was honestly what that was. He found it inside 577 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 1: of himself to find the strength to be strong for 578 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: us at a time when he knew we were going 579 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: to be at our weakest. And yes, he went into 580 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: the studio and he closed the door, and he composed 581 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: himself and at twelve oh five and forty seconds, lights 582 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: on great program. Even with all the nervousness that he 583 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: knew that a two forty five that afternoon he had 584 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: to tell his best kept secret, the worst possible news 585 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: he could to an audience, because he knew that a 586 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 1: secret that pregnant, no matter how guarded the doctors were, 587 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 1: the scientists were, it would get out. And he knows 588 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: what would happen if he did not control the news. 589 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,240 Speaker 1: And he always believed to be honest with your audience. 590 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: Over the years, a lot of people have been very 591 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 1: nice telling me how much this program is meant to them. 592 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: But whatever that is, it pales in comparison to what 593 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: you all have meant to me. And I can't I 594 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,439 Speaker 1: can't describe this, but I know you're there every day, 595 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,400 Speaker 1: I can see you. It's it's strange how I but 596 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: I know you're there. I know you're there in great numbers, 597 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,759 Speaker 1: and I know that you understand everything I say. The 598 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: rest of the world may not when they hear it 599 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: express a different way, but I know that you do. 600 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: You've been one of the greatest sources of confidence that 601 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: I've had in my life. I've had in my life. 602 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: So what's Russia's legacy can be? He will be remembered 603 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: as a man who on air changed the course of 604 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:11,919 Speaker 1: conversation in America. He will be known as somebody who 605 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: made conservatism cool. He will be known as somebody who 606 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: opened up a genre of conversation on radio that spread 607 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 1: to television, that spread to the Internet, that spread to 608 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 1: the printed word, that spawned hundreds of books being published, 609 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: where all of a sudden, you could have a healthy 610 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 1: discourse or you could be proud of your conservative beliefs. 611 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: He'll be known as an entertainer who transformed the radio 612 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: medium one more time by giving life not just two 613 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: hundreds of radio stations, six hundred and thirty three of 614 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: them to be exact when he passed away, but at 615 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: the same time, the thousands of employees that worked at 616 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: those stations, who have families who depended on the financial 617 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: welfare of those radio stations, and the tens of thousands 618 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: of businesses who advertised on those sixty three radio stays. 619 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 1: But maybe most of all, what he will be remembered 620 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 1: about is the fact that one voice could communicate to 621 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: thirty million people a week and share his opinions and 622 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 1: leave them saying I just talked with my friend, and 623 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: he just shared with me what he felt and made 624 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: me feel like the world was going to be okay, 625 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 1: that's how Russia is going to be remembered. That will 626 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: be his legacy and we're watching it start to unfold. 627 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 1: This podcast included, which is why I'm so appreciative that 628 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,800 Speaker 1: you would bear your soul and get others like Brian 629 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:35,360 Speaker 1: and Don and Mike Mamone and the other guests that 630 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: are going to be on this podcast to tell the 631 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: real truth about just a magnificent man. And thank you. 632 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: And speaking of bearing souls, I have one more thing 633 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 1: to bear with you, uh Craig today, you you were 634 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:49,759 Speaker 1: to go to Guy for a lot of things, but 635 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: you wanted just to go to Guy for tuning, You 636 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: to go to Guy for follow us on the staff, right. 637 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:56,839 Speaker 1: And I remember one day in particular, this was and 638 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 1: and there are a few things I want to say 639 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: about this because Don and Brian in the room when 640 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:05,359 Speaker 1: this happened, and Dawn is always mommy comfort and when 641 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: she needs to be and don't take this seriously, and 642 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 1: Brian is always stoic, and hey, just just whatever. So 643 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: this particular day, I had three bad calls in the row, 644 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,479 Speaker 1: which never happens to me, but I had three bad 645 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: calls in a row. What happened? Yeah, I mean it 646 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 1: just this sounds how did this happen? And Rush looks 647 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:26,760 Speaker 1: up and he's the I f B and says, listen, 648 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: if that's the best that you can do, you might 649 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: as well go home. And I freaked out, first of all, 650 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:37,719 Speaker 1: the freaking burn of the tears involuntarily, and then I 651 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,520 Speaker 1: said and then I got on the I f B 652 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,840 Speaker 1: and I said, well, I'm not going home, so you 653 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 1: can forget that. And then I just wiped every call 654 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:46,920 Speaker 1: off the board and started all over again. But I 655 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 1: was furious. I was angry. I was hurt. I was furious, 656 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: but at the same time, I was appreciative and here 657 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: so so through that order. So Mommy Dawn said, stop it. 658 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: It's okay. We're all family in here, and you know 659 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: that he doesn't mean it to hurt you. Brian. It's like, I, 660 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: come on, we've been through this before. Everybody has a minute. 661 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: Everybody has a minute, and and just just chill out. 662 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: I was still so hurt. I went back to my 663 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,760 Speaker 1: office and I picked up the phone and I called you, said, Craig, 664 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 1: You're not gonna believe what just happened. He just told 665 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:33,200 Speaker 1: me to go home. And and and you did what 666 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: you always do. You listened, first listened, and then you said, listen, 667 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: I understand. I understand how you would feel the way 668 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: that you feel, which was the second thing, you understand him. 669 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: And the third thing was kind of like without saying it, 670 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 1: not get your hands back to work without without saying 671 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: those words. But see, this is what this is. But 672 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: this is the thing that I walk away with. So 673 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 1: after all the emotions subsided, this is what I come 674 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:08,799 Speaker 1: out of that story with. And this this wasn't like 675 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: ten years ago, this was two years ago. And this 676 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 1: is the one of the things that I love about Rush. 677 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:19,879 Speaker 1: This show two years ago, by the way, is five 678 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,280 Speaker 1: hundred shows ago. Think about we talked about Rush performing 679 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: in front of a microphone for three hours a day, 680 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,680 Speaker 1: five days a week, fifty or fifty one weeks of 681 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:33,479 Speaker 1: the year. You in the capacity that you have, look 682 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: at a bank of telephones and the lines coming in, 683 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 1: and you go through probably twenty or twenty five phone 684 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 1: calls before there's one person that you believe is talking 685 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 1: about what's interesting to Rush in an articulate form on 686 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 1: a good cell phone connection that's never been on the 687 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: radio before. That can make the host look good and 688 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: can get to their points sixcinctly, and that's it. So 689 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: you run through the gauntlet and that fifteen hours a week. Right, 690 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: it's a hard job, the one that you had, a 691 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,480 Speaker 1: really hard job of the one you had. But I digress. 692 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: That was two years ago, and we had a great 693 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: conversation on the phone, and you came back to work 694 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: the next day. Right. And the thing that always blew 695 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: my mind, and it still blows my mind, is that 696 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: Rush was always the show was the thing. The first 697 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,399 Speaker 1: time I ever screwed up with Rush was I thought 698 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,359 Speaker 1: the show was over because we were at the last 699 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,839 Speaker 1: at the end of the last commercial break, and so 700 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:30,920 Speaker 1: I was starting to prepare something for that we needed 701 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 1: for post production. This was in our studios in New York, 702 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, it's like a minute left 703 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 1: and he's like looking for a phone call that had 704 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 1: dropped her something. And I was caught totally flat footed. 705 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,919 Speaker 1: And after that he called me in the studio he said, listen, 706 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 1: I don't care what's gonna happen after the show. The 707 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 1: show is the thing. Never ever let that happen again. Right, 708 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:54,160 Speaker 1: And so to me, it's the same thing all these 709 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,200 Speaker 1: years later, all that success later, the most important thing 710 00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:01,359 Speaker 1: to him was that show and making every single solitary 711 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: moment of that show happened. And that's the professional That's 712 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: one of the reasons I love I love working with 713 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 1: Rush and I love him because he always was that. 714 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,319 Speaker 1: He always set that bar of excellence when he said 715 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: excellence in broadcasting, and he came up with that as 716 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 1: the slogan for the network that he wanted to do. 717 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:21,600 Speaker 1: He meant it. He wanted everything to be excellent. And 718 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,320 Speaker 1: so I will say and close that with you this way, Craig, 719 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 1: your career has been one of excellence. And and don 720 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 1: what is it that's Donna and Brian had been in 721 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: the room all this time, By the way, what is 722 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 1: it that you want to say? Don wait, wait, get 723 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,480 Speaker 1: a microphone, Come and get to a microphone. Boss. Why 724 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 1: don't you ask Craig a k A. Ray Donovan if 725 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,799 Speaker 1: he has been a firsthand knowledge of how tough it 726 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:46,319 Speaker 1: is to be a call screener, because you just did. 727 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 1: You can't ask somebody to do something for a living 728 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:53,880 Speaker 1: if you don't try it yourself. I know what kind 729 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 1: of official recorder of the radio program I could be 730 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: I don't dare try to do what Dawn did, although 731 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:03,799 Speaker 1: I studied it intensely to understand every tool that she 732 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:07,960 Speaker 1: needed in her undivided attention. When you translate the phone 733 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,320 Speaker 1: calls from a caller calling in with a deep accent, 734 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,439 Speaker 1: and Rushi needs it in real time to be able 735 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:16,879 Speaker 1: to hear those words and read those words, and read 736 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,160 Speaker 1: the emotion in those words, so that on the air. 737 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:21,799 Speaker 1: Because the show is the thing and excellence is the thing, 738 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: Rush did not want to delay his response because he 739 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,919 Speaker 1: had an audience expectation to meet. Right, we're having a conversation. 740 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: You hear me, I hear you. The same thing is 741 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 1: true with Brian's expertise in the studio as well. How 742 00:42:33,719 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 1: do you, as a broadcast engineer, put a man on 743 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:38,920 Speaker 1: the air who has lost the ability to hear himself, 744 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,520 Speaker 1: let alone any other sound effect or voice in the world, 745 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,520 Speaker 1: and make him sound like he is present with that? Right, James, 746 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 1: your job was one that I actually could at least 747 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:56,880 Speaker 1: audition for, and I saw it as being a place 748 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,759 Speaker 1: where humanity came into contact with the program in a 749 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: I did not learn how to do that so that 750 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,560 Speaker 1: I could help you in a world that transformed from 751 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:10,439 Speaker 1: being landline to cell phone, from being one conservative talk 752 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: program to fifteen on the air in any given day, 753 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,759 Speaker 1: where the listeners are actually more informed and smarter than 754 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:20,359 Speaker 1: ever before. When the number of opposing liberals who wanted 755 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 1: to get on the air and get past you the 756 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 1: gatekeeper to embarrass the host. Occasionally Rush would take a 757 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:27,799 Speaker 1: day off and allow Todd Herman to fill in for him. 758 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 1: Occasionally James Golden A K A bow snrdly deserved to 759 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: take a day off so somebody could fill in for you. 760 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 1: I was happy to do it. Thank you. Yeah, how 761 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: was it? Did you like it? You felt, at the 762 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,040 Speaker 1: end of three hours as if you were emotionally exhausted. 763 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:49,320 Speaker 1: You felt like you had just done battle in meeting 764 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,279 Speaker 1: eighty or ninety people for the first time on a 765 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,879 Speaker 1: phone call and got them queued up, and maybe, if 766 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:58,239 Speaker 1: you were lucky, nine of them would be on the 767 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: air over the course of three hours, if were lucky. 768 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,839 Speaker 1: But a fresh had a day and the monologues were 769 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 1: going in is in, his witticisms were happening, and he 770 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:08,760 Speaker 1: was firing on all twelve cylinders. Maybe only four phone 771 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:11,400 Speaker 1: calls would get in, But you didn't worry about the 772 00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:13,319 Speaker 1: fact that you just put all that effort into getting 773 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,239 Speaker 1: the best callers because you knew that he was absolutely 774 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:19,399 Speaker 1: in command of what needed to happen. Yeah, and so 775 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 1: the excellence wasn't just for the radio program, the Russian 776 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 1: Bull Show, greatest radio program that ever existed. The organization 777 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:31,120 Speaker 1: that you built amazing, the organization that still stands today 778 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,799 Speaker 1: even though you formed a new organization amazing. Thank the 779 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,080 Speaker 1: team of people that we got to be with totally amazing, 780 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 1: all four. But more importantly than that one put than 781 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,399 Speaker 1: any of that to me, Greg, is that any time 782 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:51,439 Speaker 1: that I needed to have a friend that I knew 783 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: had my back, I could call you when you always 784 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 1: there and you always had my back. And so thank 785 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:02,719 Speaker 1: you trusting me, Craig, all of that. More than anything else, 786 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: I mean you, to me, you had the single greatest 787 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,919 Speaker 1: radio executive that ever lived. And that's all cool, that's 788 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:10,279 Speaker 1: all well and good. I don't think that impresses God. 789 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 1: I think that God gets impressed by what you do 790 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:14,560 Speaker 1: for you fellow man, and the way you treat people, 791 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 1: and Craig, when it comes to that, you have no second. 792 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:23,879 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you, thank you, James, thank you very much. 793 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:27,800 Speaker 1: I'm I'm truly humbled, ladies and gentlemen. I I actually 794 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:31,319 Speaker 1: never thought this would happen, um, and I am I 795 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 1: am truly gratified to to all of those responsible for it. 796 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:38,080 Speaker 1: And the list is long. I'd like to start with 797 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,759 Speaker 1: how this radio program actually started. Five years ago. I 798 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:44,479 Speaker 1: was brought to New York by Ed McLaughlin to whom 799 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,320 Speaker 1: I probably owe everything as far as this national career 800 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 1: of mine has has gone. And we wanted to try 801 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:54,279 Speaker 1: something that everybody in the business said wouldn't work. We 802 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:57,320 Speaker 1: were going to syndicate a national program in the daytime, 803 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 1: without local issues, without local phone numb Bruce and so forth, 804 00:46:01,239 --> 00:46:05,040 Speaker 1: and nobody in the business thought it would work. And today, 805 00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 1: if I might say, most radio stations looking to succeed 806 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:13,239 Speaker 1: are looking to syndicated programming for their salvation. And Ed 807 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,600 Speaker 1: McLaughlin is the man responsible for this, and I would 808 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:17,239 Speaker 1: like to tip my hat to him tonight for the 809 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:22,360 Speaker 1: courage to take on that which nobody thought could be done. 810 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:27,200 Speaker 1: I would also like to thank the American people. I 811 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:30,960 Speaker 1: have often been asked to go speak to associations, broadcast associations, 812 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 1: and I've I've always turned down the request because I 813 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:35,839 Speaker 1: don't know what I would say to them. I say 814 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:37,959 Speaker 1: what I say to the American people. In any chance 815 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:39,480 Speaker 1: I have a chance to speak to them, I do, 816 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 1: and I am so grateful and so honored for the 817 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:47,480 Speaker 1: the overwhelming change in my life that they have brought. Uh. 818 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: Regardless of what I mean to them, I am certain 819 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:52,839 Speaker 1: that I will never mean as much to them as 820 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: they mean to me. When I moved to New York, 821 00:46:56,320 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 1: I didn't plan on becoming a political spokesman, and fact 822 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 1: politics X was the last thing I factored in in 823 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:04,239 Speaker 1: determining whether or not I would be a success. I 824 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:06,200 Speaker 1: was coming to be on radio and media guy, and 825 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 1: I love radio. I do television too, But that microphone 826 00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 1: is right here in that cameras twenty feet away, and 827 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:16,680 Speaker 1: there's intimacy on the radio, and there's naturalness on the 828 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 1: radio that can never be replicated on TV. TV is 829 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:21,920 Speaker 1: the medium of our time, There's no question. But I 830 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: am proud to be part of the marvelous resurgeons of 831 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 1: radio as a political force in this country. Four years ago, 832 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:31,600 Speaker 1: when people went to vote, people said, oh my gosh, 833 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: there aren't enough people voting. There's apathy. The people don't 834 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:37,120 Speaker 1: care today, the Congress of the United States is attempting 835 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:39,480 Speaker 1: to shut talk radio up because people care too much, 836 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:42,000 Speaker 1: and I am proud to be a part of the 837 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:57,839 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this the third episode in our 838 00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,719 Speaker 1: twelve part series Russ loom Law The Man Behind the 839 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:04,080 Speaker 1: Golden E I B Microphone, And thanks to our guest 840 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:07,759 Speaker 1: today Craig Kitchen, join us for episode for you won't 841 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:11,480 Speaker 1: want to miss it coming up next week, David Limbaugh. 842 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,279 Speaker 1: Russia Limbaw The Man Behind the Golden E I B 843 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:19,480 Speaker 1: Microphone is produced by Chris Kelly and Phil Tower, the 844 00:48:19,560 --> 00:48:25,520 Speaker 1: best producers in America, production assistants Mike Mamone and the 845 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:29,600 Speaker 1: executive producers Craig Kitchen and Julie Talbot. Our program distributed 846 00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:33,160 Speaker 1: worldwide by Premier Networks, found on the I Heart Radio 847 00:48:33,239 --> 00:48:37,480 Speaker 1: app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. This 848 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:41,880 Speaker 1: is James Golden, This is both Nervely, This is James Golden. 849 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,560 Speaker 1: I'm honored to be your host for this in every 850 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 1: single episode of Russia Limbaugh The Man Behind the Golden 851 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:51,160 Speaker 1: E I B Microphone, and thank you for being with us.