I had expected the news for some time now, for when Paul Harvey made one of his rare appearances on his own show, something didn’t sound right. His son has been covering for him for several months, and now and then I’d hear a snippet of news about Paul Harvey’s health, but nothing major. The last time I heard his voice this past week, however, I noticed how weak he sounded. He was 90, so what did I expect? But still, it was a voice I grew up with, and millions around the world have done so as well.
He had a voice that spoke directly to the listener and made them feel as if he were talking just to them. That “old buddy, old pal” kind of tone that pulls the reader in and makes him hang on every word. I always marveled at his advertisements that he read — how he would invite people to write directly to Paul Harvey to get more information about a mattress or a supplement. When I was younger, I actually thought Paul Harvey was selling this stuff on the side and that if I did indeed write to him, he’d personally be the one sending me my products. That was the intended result, was it not? We wanted Paul Harvey to be the one to sell us products that he himself used, because, well, he was Paul Harvey — the voice of American radio for generations. We trusted him.
RIP, Mr. Harvey.
