Today marks the fourth anniversary of the death of conservative talk radio titan Rush Limbaugh.
To say that Limbaugh made an impact on the industry would be a giant understatement. His program, nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks, launched hundreds of conservative news/talk radio stations centered around the popular program.
And the lasting impact Limbaugh had on the industry is still seen today. He mentored current hosts like Erick Erickson and James Golden, also known as Bo Snerdley. Barrett Media spoke to both hosts on the anniversary of Limbaugh’s death to reminisce about their time with the news/talk radio icon.
“There literally is not a day I don’t sit down behind my microphone and think about him and the advice he’s given me,” said Erickson.
The nationally syndicated host shared that one of the best pieces of advice Limbaugh gave him included finding someone to work on his show that would be willing to tell him when he’s screwing up as a host.
“He advised me on how to find a producer. He told someone they were going to be my agent; they’re still my agent,” said Erickson. “(Limbaugh did) everything you can think of to help me get started, and I’m so profoundly grateful that he was in my life. The very first time my dad ever told me he was proud of me was Rush mentioned me as his friend on the radio. Literally, my dad ran off the road. He called me from a ditch, out of breath. I asked ‘What happened?’ He said he’d run off the road. Why? He heard Rush Limbaugh mention his buddy Erick Erickson. It was a friendship I miss.”
Erickson added that he misses having someone at the level of Rush Limbaugh to rely on for advice and guidance.
“He was always there, even in the middle of the night, if I had a question. And the weird thing about it is, I used to always be able to look over my shoulder if I ever had a question and ask Rush. And now I look over my shoulder and nobody’s there, and I’ve got all these people on the other side looking at me for answers, and I don’t know that I have them,” he admitted. “He was a life force for the entire medium. And I mean, for me personally, I literally would not be doing what I’m doing but for his involvement in my life.”
James Golden, known as Bo Snerdley during his time with Limbaugh, now hosts afternoons at 77 WABC in New York, which is nationally syndicated like Erickson. Similarly to the 95.5 WSB-based host, Golden said he frequently thinks about his former co-worker.
“We had a staff of people that was just amazing. I’ve been texting with some of them today, and there’s a mindset of how fortunate we all were to work with him, to know him, and to be part of that amazing journey that was so successful,” said Golden. “There’s a lot of gratitude, not just all of our staff that I still communicate with, that are just incredibly grateful for having that experience, and we just hold him and continue to hold us in the highest regard. Not just as a broadcaster, not just for his achievements, but for the human being that he was. And that’s the most impactful part the work. The legacy, it is truly amazing.”
Golden added that he learned plenty from Rush Limbaugh about how to host and produce a news/talk radio show. He carries that wisdom to his daily programs to this day.
“He never really gave me advice. Like Rush, I had a love for this broadcast medium. I’ve been in radio — one way or another — since I was 14 years old. Rush used to say ‘Life is show prep.’ He was always thinking forward to that next show and wanting to perform the best that he could,” Golden said. “I’ll tell you what,I was thinking about when he was battling his last battle, he still brought it every single day that he could physically bring his A game. When you’re watching this, and you’re watching this remarkable talent … but the work ethic behind it is was also incredible.
“And so if, anything, those years have inspired me to try to maintain that sense of the work ethic. I love this industry. I love what I do. And I love talk radio, but I also love the things that you don’t see. The fact that sometimes it takes you 10 hours of research before you can come up to do a show that’s over in an hour or three hours. That’s all part of it, and no one else sees that … There was no more inspiring figure in my entire career that I have seen in over 30 years. He never, never, never phoned it in. It was dedication and a love of this industry that led him to become the (greatest of all time) and to really have that sense of excellence and to take pride in it. So just watching that, being a part of that, is something that still informs the way that I do what I do.”
Others in the news/talk radio world shared their memories and admiration for Limbaugh on the anniversary of his death on social media.
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