And Now…The Rest of the Story
When I was a young girl, my father would read to my sister and I before tucking us into bed. We’d gather together each night, eager to hear the next story. Sometimes it was a Bible story or a tale from the “Bee-attitudes.”
Once in a while, it was something called “The Rest of the Story.” These readings typically started with an interesting, but not widely known, story about an individual. Each one was true and provided a fascinating account of that person’s life or struggle up the ladder. The most stunning part, however, was at the end where the identity of the person was revealed. That’s where the tagline, “And now you know the rest of the story” comes in.
Ever since those days, I’ve held a soft spot for Paul Harvey, who’s name will be forever attached to that signature tagline. I listened his radio broadcast often while growing up. And while I have to admit that in recent years I quit listening because there were too many ads intermixed into his broadcast and not enough news or stories, I still have a fond memory of my days listening to the “rest of the story.”
Sadly, Paul Harvey’s story came to an end this past week. He was 90 years old and had an impressive career. He was a radio legend with an immediately recognizable voice. At the peak of his career, Harvey reached more than 24 million listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations and charged $30,000 to give a speech. His syndicated column was carried by 300 newspapers.
In 2000, at age 82, he signed a new 10-year contract with ABC Radio Networks, and he was still active as he passed his 90th birthday. Amazing, indeed.
Harvey lived a full life. He was a pioneer in the talk radio world, and it just won’t be the same without him.
Paul Harvey, you will be missed!
