Rush Limbaugh created, followed plan for success

Rush Limbaugh captured the attention of the country as he rose to fame, and people in his hometown of Cape Girardeau had a front row seat.

They not only listened to him on the local radio station, but many grew up going to school or church or playing sports with him, and they followed his career as he continued to visit the town to keep up with friends and family. It was not uncommon to have his private jet land at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, bringing him for a visit (which often included golf) or to pick up family for get-togethers elsewhere. During the last months of his mother Millie's life in 2000, Rush regularly broadcast his national show -- without fanfare -- from the KGIR/KZIM studios in Cape Girardeau.

On May 25, 1993, a few years after Limbaugh skyrocketed to national radio success and best-selling books -- which had followed many years of prior struggles, both personally and professionally -- the Southeast Missourian published a 24-page commemorative edition explaining his accomplishments.

Today, we reprint excerpts from those stories inside. See pages 6 and 7.

We also include some of the earliest articles where Rush -- called "Rusty" at the time -- first appeared in the Missourian, as well as in his high school newspaper. These articles represent a look at Limbaugh's early career and his ties to Cape Girardeau. They do not dwell on his revolutionary talent or sometimes controversial comments. Those stories appear on the cover of this Good Times section.

Finally, on page 8, is a Southeast Missourian story from 1987, written just before Rush achieved national success. In this story, he outlines to readers of the Southeast Missourian his plan for a new kind of media. It's remarkable in hindsight how much he stuck to that plan over the next 34 years.

If Rush Limbaugh's life offers a lesson for anyone -- no matter their background, no matter how small or big a town they might come from, no matter how they might initially fail -- it is that America is a land of opportunity. We hope you enjoy these stories from our archives. For the complete stories (and more), visit www.semissourian.com/rushlimbaugh.