Rush Limbaugh, a popular, controversial, and influential talk radio host and conservative political commentator, died Wednesday at the age of 70, according to a family statement.
His death comes after a stage IV lung cancer diagnosis he announced in October,” according to WebMD.
On February 3, 2020, Limbaugh announced on his show that he was undergoing treatment after having episodes of breathlessness.
During a live broadcast, he said, “The upshot is that I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. There are going to be days that I’m not going to be able to be here because I will be undergoing treatment, or I’m reacting to treatment.”
A day later, Limbaugh attended the State of the Union address and President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On October 20, Limbaugh announced that his stage IV cancer had become terminal, with his doctors detecting new growth.
In 2020, in his final broadcast of the year, Limbaugh thanked his supporters and listeners. He said, “I wasn’t expected to be alive today. I wasn’t expected to make it to October, and then to November, and then to December. And yet, here I am, and today, got some problems, but I’m feeling pretty good today, according to Fox News.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh. She announced her husband’s death on his radio show, stating, “Rush encouraged so many of us to think for ourselves. To learn and to lead. He often said it did not matter where you started or what you look like, as Americans, we all have endless opportunities like nowhere else in the world. From today on, there will be a tremendous void in our lives, and on the radio.”
Born on January 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University after two semesters to pursue a career in radio, according to WebMD.
Limbaugh used to discuss his health problems on his show. In October 2001, he revealed that he had extensive hearing loss, stating, “I am, for all practical purposes, deaf.” And in December 2001, he said his hearing was significantly restored after undergoing cochlear implant surgery. In October 2003, Limbaugh announced on his show that he suffered from an addiction to prescription painkillers.
