Rush Limbaugh lost his battle with cancer at 70. His family confirmed the news.
America’s Right’s star Rush Limbaugh was an influential voice behind the radio for decades. The powerful icon contributed hugely to shape the image of the Republican party to the modern-day supporters. The legendary radio personality died on Wednesday morning. He was 70 years old battling lung cancer.
Limbaugh’s wife confirmed the news from his radio show
His wife conveyed his death news to the world in the radio show which he operated. She said that it is very disheartening to lose loved ones. Moreover, her husband was an extravagant personality, that the loss feels more hurtful. She added that her husband would remain one of the greatest conservative voices forever in everyone’s heart.
Limbaugh survived his prognosis period
He broadcasted his show last in 2020, thanking his listeners, supporters he said that he did not have much time as he already crossed his prognosis period.
Limbaugh thought he would not live even till then as his doctors said that they were not sure that he would only survive till October. But he did somehow. Although he faced issues frequently, he said he was doing alright.
Limbaugh suffering from ear problems and addiction of pain meds
Limbaugh had come to know in 2001 about his ear faced damages internally. It was a disease that was autoimmune in nature. He was facing hearing problems.
The radio host had to opt for treatment in 2003 to get rid of the pain medication addiction. He was continuously taking those meds after his back surgery. Limbaugh quit ESPN show. The show used to air on Sunday named NFL Countdown. His resignation came due to a controversy. He made comments about Donovan McNabb, the former quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Limbaugh called him overrated, and the media fussed about him only because they wanted a black player to be successful.
Limbaugh’s wife was at his side at the time of his death.
Trump awarded Rush Limbaugh the highest civilian award
The doctors of Rush Limbaugh diagnosed him with lung cancer. He came to know about the deadly disease in January 2020. He already entered Stage IV of the disease. The former president of the US, Donald Trump, awarded him a Medal of Freedom at the address of the State of the Union. Melania Trump, the ex-first lady, presented the highest honor to any US civilian to Rush Limbaugh. She was very emotional while addressing his cancer battle.
Donald Trump thanked Rush Limbaugh for his sheer dedication, to which he devoted all his life to his country. There is hardly anybody legendary like him around. There’s no information about where he took his last breath as he many times broadcasted his radio show out of a nearby studio close to his house in Palm Beach, South Florida.
Rush Limbaugh was a true Trump supporter
Limbaugh contributed a lot to establish Trump’s influence before the election in 2016. He had taken Trump’s candidacy seriously when nobody in the Republican party, especially influential conservatives, disapproved of Trump. Limbaugh’s many supporters became Trump’s followers. The radio host continuously defended Donald Trump. Although they also had some disagreements during the last few years, he remains a Trump supporter.
Limbaugh and Trump did a “radio rally” in a legendary media icon’s show before the presidential election, 2020. The rally continued for two hours. Trump used the golden microphone, virtually answering the questions listeners of the conservative talk show from the show’s host.
Rush Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau native, born on January 12, 1951. He started his career in radio in 1967, only helping the other radio hosts to run the shows. His age then was merely 16. Limbaugh finally turned into a disk jockey working with a small radio station 100 miles away at St. Louis’s Southern side. He was pursuing high school then too.
He said to the New York Times in an interview in 1990 that his early age was full of work and studies. There was hardly any time for him. His role model was Larry Lujac, who used to be a radio host based in Chicago. Limbaugh worked as the host of a morning show on radio in Pittsburgh in 1971. He used to cover farm news in his show as the area consisted of several agriculture communities. He said in 2007 that Nothing could stop him from entertaining the listeners. The young host was able to maintain three listeners even though the odd subject of his show.
The media icon Limbaugh’s long flourished career
Limbaugh was an immense media icon in the history of the United States. He was the dedicated flag bearer of Conservatism in politics. He promoted his conservative politics with his show which started in 1988. Sitting behind his microphone with amazing Golden plated microphone, which he signified as Excellency in Broadcasting. He stated polarised narratives, but at the same time, it was loved by a huge number of listeners.
His show started 33 years before when there were 56 radio shows in the country. “The Rush Limbaugh Show’’ got the most number of listeners back then. It used to get aired in 600 stations and more. His weekly listeners reached almost 27 million. The fan base grew bigger and bigger as it resulted in them named themselves “Dittoheads.” Fans often agreed with the legendary host saying “Ditto.”
Rush Limbaugh, an entertainer from the early days of his career
Rush Limbaugh said that his audience did not want the farm news for obvious reasons. As soon as he used to announce those, they went off. They needed to keep the listeners to protect the radio license. So he mixed his humor to the announcement of farm news and made it entertaining with sound effects of farm and funny elements. He would make jokes about the prices of stockyard fed, calling the show “barn news.” There were also other funny aspects he included to entertain the audience.
The tidbit showed some glimpses of earlier days of Limbaugh. It proved that he had an entertainer inside him from that time itself. The legendary radio host said that he considers the United States the best country after extensive travel around many European and Asian countries; back then, he must be in his late 20s. The experience helped him to articulate his political point of view.
He knew that the USA was a young country compared to many Asian or European countries that were already many years old. Those country’s civilizations are even ancient. He criticized their old fashion architecture even in modern times, made a fuss about the toilets even. According to him, those countries are not at all modern thinkers, and the American people were far ahead in every way even though the US was only 200 years old.
The legendary radio host discovers about America’s exceptionalism
Limbaugh was very much curious on what other aspects the US had shown the leading light to the whole world and found invention, manufacturing, innovation, creation, and technology in all these sectors. His country explored freedom and liberty with all those and made everything possible, which people only dreamt of.
After experiencing such facts, he decided that he would always promote the exceptionalism of his country. From then, Limbaugh was all into Conservativism. He used to say America stands for all his people’s happiness, their right to prospective life, and independence. This is why everyone who faces oppression from their own land comes to the US to live a life that can be more meaningful.
William F. Buckley Jr shaped the conservative views of Limbaugh
Limbaugh thanked William F. Buckley Jr, who founded National Review, for his contribution to build up Limbaugh’s conservative point of view. William F. Buckley has made Limbaugh learn, frame, and form his beliefs. He taught him to express those views in simple ways so that everyone gets to understand.
The Commission of Federal Communications revoked the policy for the Fairness Doctrine in 1987. The policy had come to work from 1949. It authorized that contentious political narratives from both political points of view would receive the same time in the radio programs. FCC’s decision allowed Limbaugh to air and express his conservative opinions fearlessly. There was a guarantee that the government would not accuse or punish for expressing any conservative views. The policy came as a blessing to Limbaugh as he flourished in his radio hosting after that as he could say whatever he thought to be right.
After local radio gigs in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Sacramento, Limbaugh landed at WABC in New York shortly after revoking the Doctrine of the Fairness policy. He named his radio show The Rush Limbaugh Show. It went on to become a phenomenon for his electrifying delivery as a host.
The theatrics of The Limbaugh show
Lewis Grossberger, an author, told New York Times Magazine in 1990 that Limbaugh’s approach was not at all casual or with intimacy. He talked like a tremendous public speaker on various issues. There was sheer intoxication with his words. The vocabulary was rich as well as his grandeur diction. Sometimes his over-exaggeration results in a parody of himself. His hands were always moving while he spoke due to his over-the-top energy. There was punching or slapping on the desk, rattling the papers, and whatnot during his talk on the radio show. His voice would often accompany the rhythm of the muted percussion in the show.
Although there was a point where Limbaugh left their radio career after his initial battles to find accomplishments in the industry, he then went to work for a baseball team named the Kansas City Royals. After some time, he returned to the radio industry, much-awaited by his conservatives fans, Dittoheads.
Former US President Ronald Reagan called the highest promoter of conservatives after him
Former US President Ronald Reagan thanked Limbaugh for his dedication to promoting conservatives and Republican party principles. He said that he would not mind Limbaugh being the loudest voice of conservatism after Regan’s retirement from politics. These words came from President Regan in 2003 when National Review published a letter that the President wrote to Limbaugh.
He added in that letter that he was aware that liberals considered him the dangerous American. Regan told him not to get bothered about it as democrats used to call him with the same name. Limbaugh must continue his good effort. Americans need people like him who could say the things as they should be.
Limbaugh for Hall of Fame from the NAB and the Radio Hall; NAB is a broadcasters’ association. He won the Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters five times. The awards were for his excellent achievements for Syndication and Broadcasting”. He was once a best-selling author in New York Times. Barbara Walters’ named him among the top ten fascinating personality lists of 2008.
Time magazine listed him among the first 100 people who are most influential in the world in the year 2009.
Memorable moment of Limbaugh’s career
Limbaugh’s career’s one of the remarkable moments was when he gave a speech at Conference in the year 2008. The event takes place every year. Conservatism activists, Republicans attend it. The American Conservative Union arrange this conference calling it CPAC(Conservative Political Action Conference). It was all about who are real conservatives. The speech instigated the audience to chant “USA! USA!” at the end.
He said in his speech that conservatives love the USA even to that extent when they are gone from the country, they still look out for Americans outside of the country also. They are against the exploitation of average Americans. It’s those average Americans who contribute most to make the country prosperous. Conservatives always encouraged people and believed in their skills. They can flourish when the rigidity of regulations, taxes will get removed from them.
Conservatives want Americans to be their best version of them. They respect their Constitution, independence declaration, and constitutive document. The preface of the US Constitution states an ultimate truth, which allows people to have liberty, rights, freedom, life, and the right to happiness.
