Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Limbaugh was born on January 12, 1951 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, at 6:50 am CST. His father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer, and his mother, Millie Armstrong, was considered the first lady of their hometown. He had an older brother, David Limbaugh, who later became a columnist.

Limbaugh attended Central High School in Cape Girardeau and later enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University, but he dropped out after his first year. During his youth, he developed a passion for radio, using the on-air names Rusty Sharpe and Jeff Christy. As a teenager, he was known for mischievous pranks, including throwing water balloons at trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

His family ancestry includes German, English, Scottish, and Scots-Irish roots. His grandfather, Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., was the oldest practicing attorney in the United States at the time of his death at age 103.

Limbaugh’s radio career took off in Sacramento, California, where his talk show began. He later became the #1 nationally syndicated radio talk show host in America, with a listenership of up to 40 million after his return from rehab. In 2001, he signed a contract extension with Premiere Radio Networks reportedly worth $365 million, making him the highest-paid radio personality in history.

Beyond radio, Limbaugh made several acting appearances. He played himself in the film Forget Paris 1995 and the television series Hearts Afire 1992 and The Drew Carey Show. He also provided voice work for the animated series Family Guy in multiple episodes, including the specials Blue Harvest 2007 and It’s a Trap! 2010.

Limbaugh was a vocal critic of President Barack Obama and turned down an offer from Pat Buchanan to be his running mate during the 1992 presidential campaign. He also coined the term femi-Nazi.

Limbaugh was married four times. His first marriage was to Roxy Maxine McNeely from September 24, 1977 to July 10, 1980. He then married Michelle Sixta Wennerholm on December 19, 1982; they divorced in 1990. His third wife was Marta Maranda Fitzgerald, whom he married on May 27, 1994; they divorced on December 21, 2004. On June 5, 2010, he married Kathryn Limbaugh, who survived him.

In October 2003, Limbaugh revealed to his listeners that he was addicted to prescription painkillers following a failed back surgery. He entered a 30-day rehabilitation program. Years later, he suffered from hearing loss and became completely deaf, eventually receiving a cochlear implant. He also cared for his mother during her final illness, broadcasting his show from her kitchen in Cape Girardeau.

Rush Limbaugh’s legacy as the #1 nationally syndicated talk radio host reshaped American conservative media. His show reached tens of millions of listeners and influenced political discourse for decades. In 1993, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump on February 4, 2020, during the State of the Union address.

Limbaugh’s impact extended beyond radio: he coined the term femi-Nazi and his name was used for the anti-union Rush Act in the TV series Babylon 5. He raised over $1.7 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in his annual Cure-a-Thon. Despite controversies, he remained a towering figure in talk radio until his death from lung cancer on February 17, 2021. He is remembered as the highest-rated talk radio host in American history.