Rush who?

(Published May 25, 1993.)

The Southeast Missourian newsroom continually fields calls from journalists asking, "Who is Rush Limbaugh?" "Is he for real?"

Rush Limbaugh... love him or hate him ... has single handedly put the bustling Mississippi riverfront community of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on the map.

Tourists are amazed that there is no sign on the interstate access announcing "Home of Rush Limbaugh." (It's in the works.)

When a team from the National Enquirer racked up Day Two in a mission to uncover the skeletons in Rush's closet, one reporter called his editor in Florida complaining, "This guy's vanilla." (Apparently gathering information for the article was an undercover operation because the reporters first identified themselves as freelance book writers and then as representatives of foreign publications. Their Sunday afternoon plan was to carry a $37 bouquet of flowers, knock on the door of Rush's mother and ask her to please come out and give them a story. (They even delayed their return to Florida in order to purchase this special edition at the newsstands.)

So who is the man who piques the interest of even the National Enquirer?

The most-listened to radio talk show host in the world, Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born Jan. 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Mildred and Rush Limbaugh Jr. Brother David, now an attorney and a city councilman, arrived almost two years later.

Rush always wanted to be in radio. Always. At age 16 he was a disk jockey. After graduating from Cape Central High School in 1969, he went on to Southeast Missouri State University where he lasted almost a year before he went into radio full-time -- an event that surprised few. His skyrocketing career is explored through this special issue.

These days Rush is everywhere ... on radio, on television, in the bookstores. He's hot ... red hot.

Family photographs were graciously loaned by Millie Limbaugh who apologized that a fire at the family home years ago ruined most of them.