RIP Paul Harvey
(Post by guest-blogger emeritus See-Dubya)
One of the great voices of authentic heartland America fell silent today. Paul Harvey was doing nationwide conservative talk radio for decades before anyone thought of it as conservative talk radio. Everybody recognizes his distinctive, quirky voice with the…….odd pauses and offbeat emphases, but his success was about far more than his distinctive diction.
Paul Harvey put news out there that no other outlet touched. His Paul Harvey News and Comment scoured the wires for random stuff–and ideologically inconvenient stuff– you just didn’t hear on the Big Three mainstream TV news, and crammed it all in to crisp five minute chunks, complete with terse commentary and the occasional wry thwack of sarcasm–and he still had time for the inevitable personalized pitches for Buicks and the Bose Acoustic Wave Radio. Here’s what he had to say about his advertisers:
“I can’t look down on the commercial sponsors of these broadcasts,” he told CBS in 1988. “Too often they have very, very important messages to put across. Without advertising in this country, my goodness, we’d still be in this country what Russia mostly still is: a nation of bearded cyclists with b.o.”
Zing. He was always like that. Paul Harvey invented blogging; he just did his blogging on the radio.
His other program was the famous two-minute cliffhanger, “The Rest of the Story”. What a great and simple concept. The title itself gives away the game: the news you hear is only a scratch on the surface of reality, which has a roomy, spacious Buick Roadmaster trunk full of connections and ironies the network talking heads only hint at. The media isn’t giving you enough of the story, Paul told us, which is something we’d all suspected all along: more is going on out there than they let on.
His radio show wasn’t particularly ideological–you could tell he leaned right but it was mainly through the choice of stories and headlines he picked out. He also had a syndicated column back in the day that my state paper carried, and he was a rock-ribbed Middle American (Tulsa native, in fact) social and fiscal conservative with a heart of gold, a deep love of country, and no illusions about the stakes of foreign policy. He was a Reaganesque thinker, as well as a Reaganesque communicator.
One more thing: back when Fred Thompson was just flirting with running for President, one of the things that excited me the most about his candidacy was his ABC radio addresses he gave while sitting in for Paul Harvey. I thought that was a politically brilliant move that really showcased Fred’s strengths–authentic, no-BS Heartland conservatism. I wasn’t the only one–I kind of trace the groundswell of interest in Thompson back to his time broadcasting from Paul Harvey’s chair, and likewise the deflation of the Thompson bubble to the time he left it.
Anyway, Paul Harvey: innovator, inspiration, and a great American. R.I.P.
_______________________
MORE: Lileks has Paul Harvey audio from 1968. It’s a bit of a letdown…but you can’t help but listen to the end.
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(Post written by guest-blogger emeritus See-Dubya. Opinions are my own, and I wrote the post on my own time and equipment.)
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Truly sad. RIP indeed.
“Good Day”…Paul Harvey. God Speed.
Thanks for being there for us Paul.
He will be missed. I think I heard him doing his mid-day news report…as late as some time this past week.
RIP, Mr. Harvey. Thanks for a lot of great radio.
Rest in peace Mr. Harvey. Your unique voice on the radio will be greatly missed.
Another great voice and legend of American radio is now silent, but his imprint and legacy lives on.
I’m sad. I remember listening to the man with my dad…
I think I’ll call my dad tomorrow.
A great voice for Americans has been silenced. Let his ideas and ideals live on in our hearts and minds.
Mr. Harvey, you truly have the Golden Microphone, and the PD (Program Director) has called you to headquarters to anchor the broadcasts. May you have a 50kW clear channel to boom out the truth to all.
RIP sir. You were always a family favorite.
CW4
He was a great American. His radio show always inspired. God bless him. He will be missed but never forgotten.
Same here that was in the early 70’s though. RIP Mr. Harvey you were a good man!
When I was at my service job, I would plan my lunch around his show on the radio… pull into a parking lot somewhere, eat and listen.
(right after 9/11, I remember Kieth Oblerman filling in for him a time or two)
Goodbye, fellow Tulsan. Farewell.
Woah. It was always fun to hear Paul Harvey on the radio on the drive to work in the morning. I’d usually switch stations when I knew it was Paul Harvey time so I could catch him. He was always fun to hear.
My sisters and I have memories of listening to Paul Harvey in the mornings while our daddy drove us to school.
What a wonderful man. The world is truly lesser for his passing.
I remember sitting in the kitchen of my grandfather’s farmhouse listening to Mr. Harvey on the radio. My grandmother might continue to cook but everyone else stopped what they were doing until the program was over. RIP Mr. Harvey, you’ll be missed.
We would listen to him as kids with my late parents and grand parents.
May God the Almighty Father rest his Soul and comfort his family.
Celebrities we can love are a truly rare breed. Paul Harvey set the bar and maintained his standards and beliefs … and fairly prospered for doing so.
Paul Harvey, you truly will be missed by the Heartland of America.
OH, MAN! I can’t believe it.
I loved listening to him. His style was unique. His voice was non-threatening.
I listen to his son now, but Paul Harvey made listening to the radio, real radio, fun.
God bless him. May he amuse the angels in Heaven.
This is indeed sad news I loved his “and the rest of story”….sad day indeed…God Bless his family!
That’s so beautiful it makes me want to cry. I can’t say I was ever a huge Paul Harvey fan, although he was on our radio every day, religiously. I appreciated him, and it was clear that he held the same sort of Midwestern values that I appreciate (and liberals despise and deride, almost reflexively). Part of the reason was that although he was obviously conservative, he really wasn’t willing to say things like the above quote! He could have been a more effective proto-Rush back in the 60’s if he had let that side of his personality come out.
Brett
An anchor of reason in the stormy sea of our world, a calming reassuring man and a giant of compassion, wit, and entertainment.
The rest of the story left us feeling like we all would have that “Good Day”!
Godspeed Mr. Paul Harvey
As a long time listener to Paul Harvey, I am sad to learn of his passing. I started listening in the early 1970’s when I was a teenager. He was the only voice conservatives would be able to listen to on the radio nationally for many years before Rush Limbaugh started his gig in 1988.
The Rest of the Story broadcasts were very entertaining to listen to and I would try to guess the answer. Sometimes I was correct.
Thank you Mister Harvey for many years of bringing common sense to radio and teaching some great lessons. May you now find peace with your “Angel”.
I kind of thought that Paul wasn’t long for this world.
God bless him, he’ll be missed.
RIP…
After Angel passed away, I didn’t think he would be with us much longer.
And now we know the rest of his story.
…And now you know…the REST of the story…
I first started listening to him in the Summer of my 3nd grade year. My mother was teaching Summer School, and every day at the same time we would head home and she would be listening to Talk Radio. Every day at the same time Mr. Harvey would come on and I was just enchanted by his stories, the way he told the news etc. I still remember asking my mother why he always said “Good day?” in the form of a question.
I will truly miss his “Rest of the Story” segments. Being a history and trivia nut, I learned so much from him and would even go so far as to say he influenced my love of history and trivia. Nothing was worse than missing the “hook” of the story if, for instance, you happened to go under some power lines or something similar.
Thank you Mr. Harvey. You were a truly great man, a truly nice and caring man, and a truly great American who inspired at least one person to learn more about what most people accept on the surface. You will most certainly be missed and have left a chasm of style, class and professionalism in journalism that can never, ever be filled.
Amazing how all of the Good Americans have memories of listening to Paul Harvey with their Dad, or family…
Liberals never recall listening to Paul Harvey with their Dad.
Ever notice that?
*Listened quite a bit over the years; Paul Harvey, uniquely American individualism at its’ best; His “Angel” has given him wings; God Bless.
God, I’ll miss him.
At 60 I can still remember the first time I ever heard Paul Harvey doing the news.
In 1956 I was 8 and my family had just returned from 3 years in France. One day, a short time after we got settled into our new quarters, my mother called us kids in for lunch and while sitting there eating a sandwich and chips my mother told all 6 of us to be quiet so she could hear the news on the radio. That is when Paul Harvey came on with his noon broadcast and I have been a fan ever since.
I will miss you Paul. Rest in Peace.
Rest in peace, Mr. Harvey.
Paul Harvey was an American original and a class act. He always reserved space on his broadcasts for anniversaries of couples who were married for six decades or longer. It wasn’t hard to figure out his values from these little snippets.
I look forward to hearing your voice again in heaven. You’ll be sorely missed on this side. Until then, rest in peace. Good Day, Mr Harvey. Good Day.
Mr. Harvey was a great innovator on the radio, I would tune into him when I was much younger, in my 20’s, to hear his insightful comments, there were times I would not miss his ‘Rest of The Story” if I could possibly help it. America was lucky to of had such wonderful. loving, caring person as Mr. Harvey. May he R.I.P. and blessings on his family at this mournful time..
We lost a great man today. RIP, Mr. Harvey.
Hell…most of them don’t know who their father is.
The world needs more Paul Harvey’s, a lot more.
Aw, wow. He was a good man who had an amazing way with words. Listened to him all the time when I was a kid. I will miss him, and I will never forget him. One of a kind.
We just lost a damned good man. Good and pointed commentary with a sense of humor, he epitomized conservative values and American ideals. Living proof that a man can make an honest living by merely being himself…even more noteworthy was the duration, strength and stability of his marriage. Expect Rush to have an excellent rendition of Mr. Harveys’ work, and it’d be great if msm took note of this fine man and his achievements in his lifetime, a man of honor and newscaster for all to emulate.
I used to sometimes listen to Paul Harvey in the car with my dad. I always enjoyed “The Rest of the Story.”
When my father — multi-award-winning editorial cartoonist, Cal Alley — died of cancer in 1970, Paul Harvey dedicated a portion of his show to beautifully eulogizing him. What an outstanding honor.
I listened to Paul for years. It’s like the passing of an old friend, leaving one very sad. A voice has been silenced that could never be replaced. He loved his Angel and now he is with her again. Still, the morning coffee doesn’t taste as good as it usually does.
I “discovered” Paul Harvey as a freshman in college in 1981. He helped inoculate me against the pervasive idealism on campus as, of course, did Reagan and Thatcher. Thank you sir – you have gone to your great reward!
What an inspiration! “Good day” Sir.
R.I.P. Mr. Harvey. You are- and always will be- truly great American.
Mr. Harvey showed great respect for American values, for his listeners, for his Angel. He’s been part of the fabric of our lives from the formative years for many — as evidenced by comments here. Godspeed to you and Angel. Love and blessings to your family.
I always loved hearing Paul Harvey. Unfortunately, it’s been years since any of the radio stations I frequent carried him. I’ve never stopped missing him. He was truly a unique individual.
Gooood day! Sigh. More like a sad day.
Truly an American icon. Sadly, an entire generation of our heroes is almost gone. Their work ethic and the fabric of decency and morality that defined our way of life is eroding into a faint memory. Who are our children going to look up to? Psalm 121:1 (NKJV)
I am certain that Paul and Angel are “in the arms of the angels…”
A GREAT GREAT AMERICAN and wonderful human being…….
I made sure I listened to Paul Harvey every day. He was a part of my life for 30 years. I have missed him recently and will miss him always.
God bless you Paul. Good Day.
I used to listen to him all the time with my dad.
That’s a part of my childhood that I will miss.
Rest in peace, Paul.
Never a shock-jock, always a true gentleman. We need more like him.
Paul Harvey, god’s speed.
RIP Paul Harvey. I’m not a big radio person, but both my grandfather and father listened to it a lot, and I remember Paul Harvey’s segments fondly as something I would look forward to.
As an aside to ThunderHawkk and RetFireman–pretty classless to turn a thread about a good man passing away into partisan attacks.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Mr. Harvey. My father introduced me to you when I was growing up. You will be missed.
R.I.P. Mr. Harvey Good… Day!
Another small voice of the free and gentle America we loved sliding into history.
RIP Mr Harvey.
The man who turned me on to talk radio. As a kid, I would listen to his stories, and it was his voice, that kept me coming back. It was so friendly. And so unique. There was no mistaking it. 50+ years of Paul Harvey. It doesn’t even feel like the same world anymore. Oh, the stories he told. I will miss him most, of all the celebrities.
One of my boyhood memories is hearing the sage voice of Paul Harvey, then in his thirties but sounding so old and erudite to a boy of ten. He never seemed to grow old and his clarity and wisdom were sound throughout. Now it’s time for ….page two….
Used to hear him on long road trips when there was nothing on the radio but country and yet more country music, if anything at all.
Growing up in the Midwest my values were honed by family, church, boy scouts, Reader’s Digest, Paul Harvey and Ronald Reagan.
Now living in CA, my daughter has been raised on values honed by our family, church, girl scouts, Reader’s Digest, Paul Harvey and the written words of Ronald Reagan.
The torch of solid values can be passed on – even when those that helped set them are gone. Keep the faith.
Listening to Paul Harvey broadcasts didn’t take up much of my time but it was a Big part of my day. I will miss his passion, his eloquence, his love of Country, his commanding presence (even through the radio), and his story telling ability.
We’ll see you on the other side, Paul!!
God Bless Paul Harvey, and Now for the rest of the story.
Sad day for us. I can’t help thinking though that he is happily beside his Angel again.
Anyone know where a person can find archives of “The Rest of The Story”?
The truth is never classless. Cold, hard and sometimes abrasive even. But never classless.
Paul Harvey really pioneered the format of radio broadcasts that so many now use. I remember hearing him many, many years ago as a kid listening to Armed Forced Radio when I lived overseas. And he was a regular on my local talk radio station. I remember sitting in the car many times to hear the end of his “rest of the story” broadcasts.
I will miss his voice and charm. He was often imitated but never equaled.
Today, stay-at-home moms are watching Ellen, or Oprah, or the View. My mother used to listen to Paul Harvey – every day.
When she drove us to school, we’d all joke about the pause: “This is Paul Harvey…good day!” But those little tidbits of commentary always left their mark. He was a rock-solid American.
Congress should pass a resolution declaring a Paul Harvey Day. No long winded platitudes. Just do what he would have done; a simple recognition of an American icon.
Given your logic it is not classless to go to a visitation for a dead person and then start a conversation in the midst of the mourners about the evils of liberalism.
We are on this thread to honor the life of a good, decent, honorable man, who I personally enjoyed listening to for over 30 years.
Comments and dscussions about anything else detract from honoring Paul Harvey. They are in my opinion inapporiate, ill mannered, and yes, classless.
There are plenty of places on this site to articulate them. They belong there.
The world became a little bit harsher today without Paul Harvey.
Amazing how all of the Good Americans have memories of listening to Paul Harvey with their Dad, or family…
Liberals never recall listening to Paul Harvey with their Dad.
Ever notice that?
To bad you can broadcast one last time from heaven and tell us “the rest of the story”…..
I started listening to Paul Harvey back in the 60’s (almost 50 years ago) and gained many of my conservative views from him. Because of work I wasn’t always able to listen to him weekdays but I never missed the “It’s Saturday, Stand by for News” at the noonday hour. The only reason I continued to listen to ABC News is Paul Harvey. I’m not so sure I’ll continue. Rest In Peace, Paul Harvey. God has another great American among His angels in heaven.
Now, we know the REST of the story.
Rest in peace my fellow Okie, Paul Harvey.
A true American icon!! Thank you for your many years of broadcasting. Rest In Peace, Mr. Harvey.
Somehow I doubt this Congress would do that. But nice thought anyway. I loved that man and what he stood for. Another wonderful conservative voice stilled, but never forgotten. Peace.
We’re all diminished by his passing.
At least he is reunited with his beloved wife and coworker, Angel.
Rest in peace in heaven, Paul and Angel.
Rest in peace. I can still remember my dad telling me to be quiet because Paul Harvey was coming on. That was more than 50 years ago.
Along with his father also who died in the line of duty as a police officer in 1920. God bless’em
Officer Harry H Auradt, Tulsa PD
Paul Harvey … I used to listen to him every day on my little transistor radio set on the kitchen table as I munched my cereal before school. It was the early 70s. He had a delivery that was just captivating. I was in, like 6th grade. I continued to catch him well into my adulthood. I didn’t listen to talk radio in those days … no, wait, maybe I did. Wow! He will be missed. An icon.
Paul Harvey was and IS a better man than I, and now he’s in a better place…
Paul Harvey’s unmistakeable voice was the soundtrack to my childhood. My grandparents often had his show on their radio, and I would also hear him at the barbershop. It seemed like he would go on broadcasting forever, but alas, his time is up. Good day, Paul.