Paul Harvey, R.I.P.

Paul Harvey, a legend in radio for more than 50 years, died at age 90 Saturday at a hospital near Phoenix.

Rather than recount Harvey’s unique delivery and his many accomplishments in broadcasting, it should be known that the Tulsa native also left his own unique stamp on Route 66 at least twice.

First, Harvey on his radio show touted Wrink’s Market on Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo. Harvey in particular heaped praise on longtime proprietor Glenn “Wrink” Wrinkle and his freshly made, 99-cent bologna sandwiches. Harvey’s boosterism undoubtedly drew a lot of new visitors to Wrinkle’s business.

Wrinkle’s son, Terry, reopened the store a few years after his dad died and is keeping up the tradition of freshly made sandwiches and hospitality.

Second, at a time when the nonprofit preservation group Friends of the Mother Road was trying to secure donations from celebrities for a sign restoration project at Vernelle’s Motel near Doolittle, Mo., Harvey came through with a $1,000 check. Harvey’s donation, more than anything else, made the project financially possible. You can see the before-and-after shots of the motel sign here.

And now you know … the rest of the story. He truly was a friend to the Mother Road.

3 thoughts on “Paul Harvey, R.I.P.

  1. I’m very sorry to read that. I know Mr. Harvey had an impact on a lot of lives. I have a photo of him sometime in the 60’s I’d guess with my great Uncle Carl, receiving an award. Carl was a Sinclair Oil distributor in Springfield, Illinois, and was involved in many community activities.

    When I was taking Driver’s Ed. in the summer of 1980, our instructor Mr. Teeter always made us tune in to Paul Harvey at the appropriate time. This was the first time I really started listening to his show. And I still catch it whenever I can.

  2. I have fond memories of listening to Paul Harvey News and Comment and “the rest of the story” every day for years at a job I had when I was younger. We planned our lunch time around it to make sure we were ready Paul was a class act and will be sorely missed. With all the shock jocks on the radio these days, Paul harvey was in a league all by himself.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.