Paul Harvey Biography

The radio show Paul Harvey News and Comment was first broadcast nationally in 1951 and continued into the 21st century, making Harvey one of the longest-lasting and best-known voices on American radio. Harvey’s program — an idiosyncratic mix of headlines, comments, quips and advertisements, all voiced by Harvey — was syndicated at its peak to more than 1200 radio stations around the country each day. Harvey was famous for his work ethic: he wrote and recorded his shows six days a week from studios in Chicago. His brisk, quirky delivery and signature greeting “Hello, Americans!” were widely (if fondly) parodied. In 1976 Harvey began a companion radio feature, The Rest of the Story, telling little-known tales from the lives of famous people. He continued working right up until his death at age 90. Harvey was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990.