Filed under: happenings
I am very fond of radio, talk radio specifically. Not for the political stuff exclusively, but for the simple idea that spoken words can stimulate ones mind, causing the listener to be the creative producer, not someone behind a camera or in a director’s chair.
My taste in radio is rich, in my opinion. I have been listening to This American Life for over ten years now, and subscribe to the weekly podcast. I listen to Rush and believe he is a genuinely good person, as is Michael Savage. Not so much for Sean Vanity, a pro at capitalism, but as deep as a puddle in terms of content. I listen to Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and A Prairie Home Companion on NPR. And I like several sports talk shows including Bores & Bernstein, Mike & Mike, and a few on the Fox Sports Radio network.
Here in Cincinnati we have one of the few legendary 50,000 watt AM stations, WLW, who’s status is right up with there with my other longtime favorites WGN and WLS out of Chicago. Cincy has a few local hosts that are very entertaining and satisfying to my Libertarian points of view.
But there is one personality that I’ve always enjoyed listening to no matter the political climate, no matter the season of my life, and that is Paul Harvey. Be it The Rest of the Story or his News, he simply cannot, nor will not, be duplicated or replaced.
His stories are probably my favorite. The man understands words and delivery – where to place them, how to pace them. I’d say his stories are split 75/25 in terms of people I’ve heard of / never heard of. And the stories are always fresh, always with some spin on some famous person that you never would have thought of. He is a master story teller.
But until today I did not know that the love of his life, his wife “Angel,” was the developer and producer behind his stories. When the person-behind-the-person dies it’s sometimes more tragic than had the face passed away. Today I learned that Angel Harvey passed away after year-long fight with cancer.
This passing is going to take a hard toll on Paul Harvey, and I am sure that a good chunk of radio history has come to a close. When your other half is gone, it’s impossible to maintain what was there before. I mourn her passing, and all that it means in terms of life, and the craft she contributed to. Something really sacred and good died with her, and I send my condolences to Paul and the Harvey family.
