Friends, fans fete Neal Boortz at sold-out Fox Theatre
Here are photos from last night’s sold-out Fox Theatre farewell “Happy Ending” party for Neal Boortz, who is retiring January 18 after more than four decades as a radio talk-show host:
Neal Boortz was sentimental, sardonic and sweet at his farewell party Saturday night. PHOTO CREDITS: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
Boortz performed “Prime the Pump’ with his friends and favorite band Banks & Shane. “I remembered all the words!” he said afterwards.
Neal Boortz didn’t delve into politics Saturday at his sold-out farewell party at the Fox Theatre, his topic of choice for more than four decades on the radio, from the Vietnam War to the current gun-control debate.
Rather, he absorbed gentle ribbing and kind words from his friends, reminisced about his favorite pranks and jokes he played on his colleagues and thanked his staff and late sidekick Royal Marshall, who died unexpectedly two years ago.
“I loved that man more than anybody I’m not related to,” Boortz said. “I would sit in a room with him in the studio during a news break. He’d be carrying on and raising hell. I’d look at him and think, ‘Damn, I just love him.’ I never said it. You know how much I’d like to be able to say that to him now.”
He received a surprise video tribute from talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, a video tribute to the tune of OneRepublic’s “Good Life” (including photos of him with hair) and a song about him from the Atlanta band Banks & Shane.
Boortz retires from his syndicated radio show (heard locally on AM 750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB) on Friday, January 18. He will be replaced by former presidential candidate Herman Cain. (He said the original departure date was January 21 but he decided to just call into Cain’s show on Inauguration Day.)
Boortz told Cain on stage that “I would not have retired if you were going up there to do that job – unless I was to work for you.”
“I can’t retire because you didn’t get the job,” Jeff Foxworthy cracked on stage.
Monica Pearson, who worked at Channel 2 Action News for 37 years until last year, said Boortz convinced his radio audience over the years that she had a hot tub in her office. “I didn’t even have an office!” she said. “I had a cubbyhole!”
Fox News personality and fellow syndicated radio host Sean Hannity said when he competed against Boortz as a host on WGST-AM in the early 1990s, he remembered hearing Boortz teasing his 9 a.m. show on Scott Slade’s show at 6:15 a.m. “I realized I had to get into work earlier,” he said.
But he also realized Boortz was giving Hannity a blueprint for his upcoming show so he’d use that as a guide for his own show. One time, he gleefully poached a guest, O.J. Simpson’s attorney Robert Shapiro – much to Boortz’s chagrin.
On stage, Boortz said Hannity did the smartest thing by moving to New York after his stint at WGST. He said as a Southerner, he faced difficulty getting stations outside of the region to take his show. (Boortz’ program is now heard on more than 230 stations, though he continues to get more love from the South.)
Slade said Boortz’s work ethic was unquenchable. He typically arrived to work three to four hours early to prepare for the day.
“He doesn’t suffer fools gladly,” said Slade. “But if he likes you, he sets you up to look good. He always lifts you up.”
Foxworthy used to sub in for Boortz on his show but said he was “too nice.” Foxworthy did a 20-minute comedy set that with a few light zingers toward Boortz, who over the past three years has worked more from his home studio in Naples than Atlanta.
“I don’t know why Neal is retiring,” Foxworthy told the audience. “He sits in his house drinking coffee and talking on the phone for four hours every morning. You throw on a robe and a pack of Virginia Slims and he’s my mother-in-law!”
Anyone going on stage was asked to wear black-tie formal outfits for the event. Boortz, ever the rebel, came to the theater in a Hawaiian shirt but eventually donned a tux (minus a tie.)
Surprisingly, consumer advocate and self-proclaimed “cheapskate” Clark Howard showed up in a tuxedo, but he didn’t break the bank: he said he paid $79 at K&G Formalwear for a polyester Sean Jean.
At the end of the show, Boortz told the producers he was going to ignore their five-minute time limit and gave a 15-minute speech, which included a loving tribute to his late dog Coco and touching words about his wife Donna, who tearfully watched from the front row.
“I don’t sound like this on the radio,” Boortz said, “but maybe that’s somebody else. She taught me the joy of giving, how great it feels to find somebody else in a desperate situation and helping them out… She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever known. I love you sweetie.”
Boortz said he couldn’t wait to hit the RV with her and travel the country.
His producer Belinda Skelton said afterwards that she sensed when Boortz was running out of steam on stage and voluntarily charged onto the stage, signaling the end of the show.
Producer Belinda Skelton mingle with fans before the concert.
Boortz fans Kim and Sally Davis, of Avondale Estates, didn't get to meet him in person but did get a shot by his cardboard cut out.
Clark Howard (gasp!) in a Sean John tuxedo he purchased from K&G FormalWear for $79 - or about 20 meals at Burger King.
Clark Howard (right) with Jamie Dupree before the show.
The logo showing Boortz on his RV traveling the country with his wife Donna after retirement.
Sean Hannity gabs with Herman Cain.
Sean Hannity mixes it up with Jeff Foxworthy in the green room .
Boortz fan Laurie Weinstein gets her photo taken with Hannity before the show. "You are gorgeous," she told him. "Skinnier and younger, I hope!" he said.
The Boortz crowd hung on his every word during the Saturday night event.
Neal Boortz's two key staffers Christina Gonzalez (right) and Belinda Skelton (left)
Captain Herb Emery and Scott Slade of WSB's morning news team.
Sean Hannity enters the stage in triumphant fashion.
Neal and Belinda yuk it up on stage.
Neal Boortz with Jeff Foxworthy on the dais
Foxworthy did a 20-minute stand-up act, which included reading lines from Larry the Cable Guy, who made lots of "old" jokes about Boortz. Foxworthy did some "redneck"-like jokes but turned it into Boortz jokes: "If the residuals from your show's theme song is the primary source of income for Huey Lewis & the News, you might be Neal Boortz." ""If your airplane fantasy is being in the front of the plane instead of the back without your pants on, you must be Neal Boortz." "If you have been beloved by an audience and leaving a legacy that can never be duplicated, you might just be Neal Boortz."
Chuck Dowdle and Monica Pearson, former Channel 2 Action News icons, enjoy the festivities. Dowdle emceed.
Boortz performed with Shane and Banks, an Atlanta Americana/country band that opened and closed the show.
Doug Franklin, president of Cox Media Group, gives the Donna Boortz Foundation $20,000, $1,000 for each year Boortz worked with Cox.
Confetti flew at the end of the show.
Former Channel 2 Action News anchor Monica Pearson hugs Boortz after the show ended.
Boortz, after teasing Dowdle about his hair, gives him a playful noogie after the show.
The guys do a group shot backstage after the show ended: (L-R) Clark Howard, Herman Cain, Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, Jeff Foxworthy, Jamie Dupree, Erick Erickson.
News/Talk WSB is owned by Cox Media Group, which includes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter. Oh, and Google +, too!
accessAtlanta Partner Sites
Sections
Advertise on accessAtlanta.com »
Reach the audience you want by advertising on accessAtlanta.com
Join the Access Atlanta Network »
Advertisers and Publishers, expand your reach by joining the Access Atlanta Network.
Tell us what you think about the site
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement | About our ads
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
122 comments Add your comment
Fiscal Conservative Social Libertarian
January 13th, 2013
7:05 pm
When Boortz talked about his earlier “wives”, he was referring to previous radio stations where he had once worked like WGST.
JWSt
January 13th, 2013
7:07 pm
“his illogical and overwrought hatred for Obama has ruined his show.”
>
No, Obama is having no problem ruining our country himself. And as far as diversity goes, well the event was open to anyone who wanted to buy a ticket.
tiger woo
January 13th, 2013
7:15 pm
Obama isn’t ruining the country – Bush already did that.
TG
January 13th, 2013
7:17 pm
Raider beater, I hope you are joking. I am not an Obama supporter and yet I can point out a racist when I see/hear one. Listen for white men who bring in race in almost every issue, there is your clue. Limbaugh and Erickson do this all the time. Erickson especially likes to do his antecdotes of Blacks being somehow intellectually inferior to Whites but he tries to be subtle about it. I’m sad for you that you can’t see when someone is insulting you.
tiger woo
January 13th, 2013
7:18 pm
Raiderbeater
January 13th, 2013
7:03 pm
I hate Obama….I guess I’m racist. Wait! I’m black!
You may not be racist, but you are ceetainly an idiot.
Rafe Hollister
January 13th, 2013
7:31 pm
Liberals could never out reason or debate him an he continues to frustrate them to the end. Neal AMF. I have been listening since WRNG and have never heard anyone like Boortz. Rush is close in his ability to make his point, while entertaining the audience, but no one else I have heard is close. End of an era!
SteelerFan
January 13th, 2013
7:33 pm
Great talk show host! The 48%, the moochers and parasites of this country will miss you I’m sure. They won’t get an education anywhere else. Hey Neil hang in there!, you spoke the truth.
We'll miss ya
January 13th, 2013
7:39 pm
Some of us who appreciate you for what you are and don’t expect you to be what you’re not, will miss you.
It’s true, Boortz is one of a kind and will never be duplicated. And another au revoir to Royal T. What a great team the 3 of them were – Neal, Royal and Belinda. Again, never to be duplicated.
tluns
January 13th, 2013
7:54 pm
Regardless of race,religion,gender,political affiliation he was guaranteed to make you laugh & piss you off. He was the man you loved to hate & hated to love.but always entertaining.
tluns
January 13th, 2013
7:55 pm
Enter your comments here
NoOldMen4boortz
January 13th, 2013
7:57 pm
Good riddance you rat SOB, and your slobbering rants. I’ll miss ya.
Oh, Belinda is looking fat.
DontSayItoldyaSo
January 13th, 2013
8:02 pm
Funny how these zombies will swear to the ends of the earth that Boortz had a “schtick” and is an “entertainer”. However in the same breath they tell you how they subscribe to his social amd polictical philosophy. Limbaugh makes the same claim (and they gladly co-sign his claim like good little zombies). Yet, he is THE sounding board for the modern Republican party.
Kind of tells you a bit about those who follow him. Either they are:
Bald faced liars who think everyone else is so stupid as to not recognize his hatred and vitriol for what it is and counter it , or…They themselves are airheads who see 10, 20, 30 years of manufactured vitirol and psuedo hatred as productive to our society and “entertaining”. In each case it’s pitiful.
VFlynnFan
January 13th, 2013
8:07 pm
Got to share my most remembered Boortz comment. Early 1980’s.. Hosea Williams called into the Boortz show and was raising hell about something Neal had said on the air. Neal let him rant for a few minutes only to interupt him and said “Hosey, if I had that stuff that spewing from your mouth on my lawn I would have the greenest grass in Dekalb County”. Safe Travels Neal. You will be missed!
Trip
January 13th, 2013
8:10 pm
I have been listening to Boortz since the early 90’s on WGST. I always got a chuckle out of his show and learned a little bit about true Libertarian philosophy. The new lineup at WSB falls short of Boortz and Clark Howard. I am now listening to 920am and 1160am as I ride around in traffic. I like Herman Cain but he comes across as a black preacher. I don’t like Rush as he is a bit on the Narcissist side of the spectrum. A guy like Boortz will be hard to replace.
DontSayItoldyaSo
January 13th, 2013
8:13 pm
As it is said, you know people by the fruit that they bear. The ultra negative energy that Neal Boortz has spent multiple decades putting into the universe is apparent in his followers. Ultra divisive and brash, pitting one group against the other.
One doesn’t “do” something for 40 years and it is not who they are. A person of CONSCIENCE could not do such a thing. Maybe that’s it. The guy has no conscience.
Poorwhitetrash
January 13th, 2013
8:24 pm
Libertarian… Neal was a red neck Republican. I hate that WSB would allow his repeated disrespect of the President! I guest Royal had enough of his Sugar Honey Ice Tea. I’m glad he is gone. Just look who was in attendance, a bunch of old white folks
Friends, fans fete Neal Boortz at sold-out Fox Theatre – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
January 13th, 2013
8:40 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Elliott
January 13th, 2013
8:40 pm
Neal was good years ago when he was a real libertarian and would go against the grain, but in the past few years he became a carbon copy of every other conservative radio show. Still enjoyed him and wish him well.
Ron Hyatt
January 13th, 2013
8:44 pm
I’ll miss “re-boortz” the most from the early days, driving home from work late nite.
Jim Davis
January 13th, 2013
9:14 pm
Neal, you kicked butt! Hope you enjoy your retirement. Air waves will never be the same without you. I always thought you and Scott Slade should fly an aerobatic routine together at the Great Georgia Airshow!
Doug
January 13th, 2013
9:20 pm
Such hate from a few ! Was the show just over their heads or what?
Sparks
January 13th, 2013
9:26 pm
All these bitter, hateful, leftists have always been green with envy because they know there has yet to be a successful liberal radio talk show. Boortz goes out on top….good on ya.
Winger1
January 13th, 2013
9:35 pm
If you libs can get past your vitriolic hatred for a couple hours, read his latest book. Maybe you can understand the point of talk radio, and it isn’t about whether you are happy or mad. It’s about the money to be made from the commercials that play while you are on hold. Read his retirement plans and tell me you did as well. He gotcha every day, and you still don’t know it.
Observer
January 13th, 2013
10:05 pm
Neal, you’ve gotten some great fodder on here. Use it in your last few days on air, your fans will love it! Best to you, buddy! Have enjoyed listening to you for many, many years. My mornings won’t be the same without you, but will always keep your thoughts, memories, and beliefs close to heart. May you and “the queen” enjoy your bus tour. We’ll be here, cheering on Belinda, Christina, Clark, Scott, entire WSB family. Will miss you Neal!
Poorwhitetrash
January 13th, 2013
10:07 pm
I realize it was about the dollar… His followers can’t get over the fact that the USA is turning BROWN!!
You NEAL lovers are the minorities.
Repro
January 13th, 2013
10:40 pm
The hate spewing out of this man towards Obama in the last few months was unbelievable.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Southside Progressive
January 13th, 2013
11:14 pm
He’s the main reason that my radio is permenantly tuned to NPR and I’m greatful!
Greedy Kilowatt
January 13th, 2013
11:39 pm
He’ll have more farewells than The Who.
In the end, he cared so little for his show, he did it from his house in Florida. (Something he tried to conceal for years.)He talked ad nauseum about his airplane. He stayed way past planned retirement to pimp his book. All of this was enough for me to forget how he once was good. The ’80’s? Pharr Road era WGST?
It became vicious lies, disclaimered with “Don’t believe a word I say.” A lot more lies than disclaimers.
Maybe now he’ll keep his word and run for the Fulton County Library Board. Oh, wait. He can’t. He’s lived in Florida for as long as anyone can remember.
HENRY
January 13th, 2013
11:49 pm
I WAS SITTING IN MY CAR THE OTHER MORNING GOING THROUGH SOME PAPERWORK WHEN HERMANN CAIN WALKED BY AND BID ME A GOOD MORNING. THAT’S WHEN IT HIT ME…NEAL’S TIME ON THE RADIO IS ABOUT OVER. TIME REALLY GOES BY FAST AS ONE GETS OLDER. WE WILL MISS NEAL AND HIS LITTLE WAYS TO PISS OFF THE LIBERALS. COME TO THINK OF IT, THEY NEED TO BE PISSED OFF…ON A REGULAR BASIS…………
Lee York
January 14th, 2013
12:03 am
Been a fan since 1982. It just wont be the same. Youhave talent and have been a success, no wonder the lazy libs dont like you. Enjoy retirement
Eric
January 14th, 2013
1:06 am
Neal Boortz was/is a talk radio icon. He had gumption and believed in telling it like it is. The way I see it, he did what he felt was right, and not what was politically correct… News-Talk WSB believed in him. I assume that Sean Hannity and Erick Erickson view Boortz as a talk radio mentor. I would assume that Erickson could be viewed as a possible back-up plan, in the event that Herman Cain’s new show doesn’t work out. I’ve also heard speculation of Herman possibly eyeing a 2014 U.S. Senate run against incumbent Saxby Chambliss… and that would be a different story.
The way I’m seeing it with Atlanta radio now… a lot of the music stations have become shells of their former selves. Atlanta radio used to be good with morning show teams, like Steve & Vikki, Mike & Carol, Randy & Spiff, Kelly & Alpha, Cindy & Ray… and with other notable radio personalities, like Rhubarb Jones, Gary McKee, Sandy Weaver, Mara Davis, and Kelly McCoy.
Eric
January 14th, 2013
1:11 am
I mostly listen to Star 94… as well as 97.1 The River. I’m not a big country music listener, and don’t particularly care for the Rap, R&B, and Hip-Hop stations. I’d probably listen to 104.7 The Fish once in a blue moon.
BILLY MAYS HERE
January 14th, 2013
1:31 am
Jeff Foxworthy is still doing “redneck” jokes? What a freaking HACK.
BILLY MAYS HERE
January 14th, 2013
1:32 am
Hope he dies soon
BILLY MAYS HERE
January 14th, 2013
1:36 am
And I hope when he dies he gets to meet all of the soldiers who died for nothing in wars that Boortz was a cheerleader for
Blowhard
January 14th, 2013
2:30 am
Goodbye and good riddance. I won’t miss his vicious attacks and nasty attitude. Go to Florida and don’t come back, we need less of his kind of vitriole.
Knowledge
January 14th, 2013
2:45 am
Looking forward to Obama’s Inauguration! Obama 2012-2016!
SuburbanLife
January 14th, 2013
3:11 am
I enjoyed Boortz in his earlier career. Back when he was a “Libertarian”. Later in his career he became just another follow-the-leader generic Fox News style Right winger. His final years were nothing more than generic anti-left slogans that he didn’t even bother to back up.
This is a man who after decades of pro-Fair Tax actually verbally attacked pro-Fair Tax Republicans in order to blindly support Nathan Deal during the election.
Boortz in the end was just using the label Libertarian ( which he was not ) in order to seem different than the rest.
SuburbanLife
January 14th, 2013
3:18 am
Also…
Herman Cain has to be the single most boring radio personality in the history of radio. He’s dull and lifeless. Talk radio is suppose to be entertaining and Herman is like listening to an insurance seminar given by a guy on valium.
“They think we are stupid”
WSB must think we are stupid to replace Boortz ( who was very entertaining ) with this guy.
hillbillynation
January 14th, 2013
4:36 am
The end of an error. The beginning of a bigger one.
Frances
January 14th, 2013
5:03 am
So long Boortz, may your departure be the first of many. Cain is inane and incomprehensible so it won’t be long before this format which is already declining dies. At least you knew when to get off the sinking ship.
Mike
January 14th, 2013
5:16 am
Never liked this punk Boortz…Just wished it could have been him who is 6 feet under and not Royal….Royal seemed like a good guy….But Boortz??? To bad he hasn’t gone the “way of Breitbart” yet
TheLazyComic
January 14th, 2013
5:55 am
One stooge down… how many more to go? Boortz is one of those idiots who chant… Demon-crats bad… Republi-cons good. NO BOORTZ… THEY BOTH STINK. (Somehow… I get the feeling that Boortz made money when the Republi-cons were in office). I’m not saying he did anything illegal or bad… just saying that he probably made money at those points in time… You can insert your favorite back-room thoughts at this point.
Cloudodust
January 14th, 2013
6:35 am
After my retirement party in or about 2018, which will be held in Ryan’s banquet room so as to support friends and family (and I’ll have to pick up the tab to boot!), I’ll hop in my 1968 VW camper and simply head back to my shanty. Congrats to Boortz. Thanks for the entertaining years of ‘Telling it like it ought to be’.
Lew Holt
January 14th, 2013
6:54 am
Didn’t care much for his politics but boy, was he spot on about religion. Neal had no use for religion and was friends with the atheist, agnostic community in this country. Oh course, with most top republicans who read Ayn Rand’s philosophy as their guiding principles, religion is dying out with most conservative leaders today. So long Neal. You showed people religion was a business, not believable.
tcv
January 14th, 2013
7:25 am
You liberals are real nasty bitter people.
Highlander
January 14th, 2013
7:29 am
Congrats, Rodney! You found a headline topic that brings out the same wackos as a Fantasia one!!
Lew Holt
January 14th, 2013
7:36 am
Liberals are bitter? You wingnuts have forgotten the sound of “winning”. We aint bitter, we’re dancing in the streets.
david c
January 14th, 2013
8:04 am
“You liberals are real nasty bitter people.”
But not losers. Buh-bye!
Brenda
January 14th, 2013
8:18 am
Sorry, but I too do not like the new lineup. I miss Neal, Clark and Sean. I love Erik and Herman but it is just not the same. I wish they had replaced Neal with Erik instead of Herman, though. So I listen till 11:30 for the rest of this week and then turn it off. Guess I will start listening to Kicks.