rush limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh, heard on over 600 stations across America, is credited with saving AM radio.

Born in 1951 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Limbaugh dreamed of a radio career as a child and would “call” imaginary baseball games. While in high school, a job at KGMO/Cape Girardeau launched a career that led to broadcast icon status. 

After two undistinguished disc jockey stints in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, Limbaugh retired from radio in 1978 to work with the Kansas City Royals. Five years later, Limbaugh decided to give radio one more shot. When he started injecting his opinions into his Kansas City newscasts, management was upset and he was fired.

Limbaugh then moved to KFBK/Sacramento, where he was hired to replace Morton Downey, Jr. He was a big success there, and his climb to the top escalated when he moved to WABC/New York.

In 1988, Limbaugh went national, thanks to the urging of Edward F. McLaughlin. His outspoken opinions touched a political nerve and propelled him to superstar status.

In the fall of 2001, Rush was stricken with severe hearing loss, which threatened his career, but his massive audience rallied to support him.

Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993.