Hawley remembers Rush Limbaugh as a ‘proud son of Missouri’

close

Video

Mark Levin: Rush Limbaugh made it 'cool to be a patriot'

Fox News host Mark Levin pays tribute to Rush Limbaugh, after the longtime radio host died Wednesday at age 70.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., remembered legendary conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh as a "proud son of Missouri."

Limbaugh was born and raised in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he graduated high school in 1969 and got his first radio job at KMGO-AM before becoming a household name. Limbaugh died Wednesday at the age of 70 after a battle with lung cancer.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO PIONEER, DEAD AT 70

"A proud son of Missouri, Rush Limbaugh was a voice for the voiceless," Hawley, the junior senator from Missouri, said in a statement. "He changed talk radio, but more importantly, Rush changed the conversation to speak up for the forgotten, and challenge the establishment."

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., remembered legendary conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh as a "proud son of Missouri." (Photo by Susan Walsh - Pool/Getty Images)

Hawley said he and his wife, Erin, are praying for the Limbaugh family and they honored his legacy.

"He lived the First Amendment and told hard truths that made the elite uncomfortable, but made sure working men and women had a seat at the table," Hawley said. 

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Limbaugh remained "grounded in his Missouri roots."

KAYLEIGH MCENANY REMEMBERS RUSH LIMBAUGH: ‘I AM THE DEFINITION OF A RUSH BABY’

"From his first job in high school as a radio personality in Cape Girardeau to the EIB Network, Rush Limbaugh changed the way Americans talked about issues every day," Blunt, Missouri's senior senator, said in a statement.

"He reshaped talk radio and became one of the most powerful conservative voices in our country, but always stayed grounded in his Missouri roots and Midwest values. I, along with millions of others, will miss hearing his unique perspective."

Limbaugh's wife, Kathryn, announced Rush's passing on his radio show Wednesday. "Losing a loved one is terribly difficult, even more so when that loved one is larger than life," she said. "Rush will forever be the greatest of all time."

PHOTOS: RUSH LIMBAUGH THROUGH THE YEARS

The radio icon learned he had Stage IV lung cancer in January 2020 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump at the State of the Union address days later. First lady Melania Trump then presented America’s highest civilian honor to Limbaugh in an emotional moment on the heels of his devastating cancer diagnosis.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.