Here at the Ship of Fools I don't take things very seriously. I poke fun at a lot of things and sometimes even manage to make myself laugh at my own iditocy.
Today however I heard the sad news that a true legend of radio had passed. Paul Harvey, best known his short radio broadcasts "The Rest of the Story" died in his home in Arizona last night at the age of 90.
Mr. Harvey began his radio broadcast in 1933 cleaning the radio station near his home in Tulsa and was soon allowed to fill in air time reading commercials. He covered the US Naval concentration of forces in Hawaii just prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and did his patriotic duty by serving in the US Army Air Forces from 1943-1944. After the war ended he came up with the tag line "the rest of the story" while covering the post-war employment listing "Jobs for G.I. Joe". From there his career blossomed with "Paul Harvey News and Commentary" each weekday at noon. That expanded to Sundays and eventually Saturdays and stayed that way from the mid 70's to present. His show was called "the largest one-man network ever" as it was carried on over 1200 networks world wide.
Mr. Harvey was the recipient of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame award, the Horatio Alger Award and was named to the DeMolay Hall of Fame. In 2005 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush.
He was married to the same woman since 1941, Lynne Harvey-Cooper, whom he called Angel. She helped produce his show and was the first producer to be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. In 2007 it was announced on the air that she had contracted leukemia and in August of 2008 it was announced, again on air, that she had lost that battle.
Mr. Harvey died this morning in a hospital surrounded by friends and family. No cause has yet been announced but it doesn't really matter. To repeat what Paul Harvey Jr. said this morning "millions have lost a friend." Myself included. Paul Harvey was always a familiar voice on the radio. Countless times I remember riding in the truck with my parents on some errand or another and when we heard that familiar voice announce "Hello Americans, I'm Paul Harvey..." the voices would hush and all attention was on the radio.
Paul Harvey leaned neither Left nor Right during his commentary. His job was to report the news and current events and his comments were always middle of the road. They were G rated, witty, often sarcastic, and always entertaining.
So please allow me my whim, dear readers, as I spend a moment remembering a dear friend I never met. Paul Harvey will be greatly missed by me and others. Rest In Peace, Paul Harvey, for all you've accomplished you've earned it.
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You made the comment that Mr. Harvey started in radio by cleaning a station near his home, and later read commercials before becoming the formitable voice we all know and recognize. This, in my opinion, epitomizes what it was to be of that generation. It was not belittling or degrading for him to sweep the floors, or to read an advertisment while the regular personality took a smoke or tapped a kidney. No! It was a means to an end. It was working from the ground up towards an ultimate goal. It was appreciating the people whom surround great people, making sure that great people are capable of greatness. Today's generation, again in my opinion, largly lack this character trait. I've heard this generation (my generation) called the Entitlement Generation. We expect everything now. We hold out for management positions that we have no right taking. We're not willing to wait for anything. Impatience and imprudence defines us. What lessons will we share with our prodigy? That hard work and exemplifying our williness to excell is for suckers? I pray not, but I fear so.