Paul Harvey- An Appreciation 1918-2009

For over 75 years, Paul Harvey had mesmerized his audiences with folksy reporting of the news on his "Paul Harvey News and Comment", and his biographical history daily radio show, "The Rest of the Story".

Harvey was best known for delivering news with deliberate delvery and pregnant pauses. Plus he intertwined his news reports with advertisments in his radio shows, which began back in 1933. At the time of his passing Saturday, his show was heard on over 1200 radio stations and 400 Armed Forces networks. Over the years, Harvey won over 40 awards- including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by then-President George W. Bush in 2005, and a Peabody in 1994. He also won an unprecedented four Marconi awards in 1989, 1991, 1996, and 1998. Harvey, despite having ailments over the last several years- including a vocal cord virus that temporarily sidelined him in 2001- never retired from the mike.

For much of his career, he did his shows from Chicago.

In his own words, he said on CNN's "Larry King Live", "Since I was fourteen, that voice has been my vocation, my advocation.

For twenty years, he also had a syndicated television program,

Bush, said in a statement, "Paul was a friendly and familiar voice in the lives of millions of Americans."

ABC Radio Networks president Jim Robinson said in a written statement, "As he delivered the news each day with his own unique style and commentary, his voice became a trusted friend in American households.

He was married to Lynne Harvey- whom he affectionaltely called "Angel". He was so smitten with the former Lynne Cooper that he proposed to her on their first date. It was a union that lasted 68 years, until Lynne's passing- at 92- last year.
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The voice and the man born Paul Harvey Aurandt died Saturday at 90, in Phoenix, where he kept a winter home.

(C) 2009 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.