Last November, Dennis Prager, the longtime nationally syndicated radio host, author, lecturer and founder of PragerU, fell and suffered a serious spinal injury. He underwent an operation and, as of several weeks ago, was unable to move his arms and legs and unable to speak and breathe without a ventilator.
He can now breathe without assistance. He can now speak, and with practically the same commanding baritone voice as before the accident. He promises his millions of fans and listeners he will return to the airwaves -- and soon.
I met Dennis over 30 years ago when I was working in Cleveland. I moved there to work for a big law firm. I appeared as a guest on a popular live show called "Morning Exchange." One day, I came to the studio, and a tall, white-haired man named Dennis Prager was sitting in for the primary host. He interviewed me for the segment, and we talked during the commercial break.
I learned he was a radio host based in Los Angeles, my hometown and where my parents live. We briefly discussed politics and discovered we were both political anomalies -- Dennis a Jewish conservative and I a black conservative. Dennis suggested I come on his show the next time I come to Los Angeles.
That night, I phoned my mother and told her about meeting Dennis. I knew she would likely know about him. My mother loved talk radio.
Let me digress. A couple of years before meeting Dennis, I wrote a column published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I insisted that racism is no longer a serious obstacle for any black person willing to work hard and who refuses to think of himself or herself as a victim to whom something is owed. It created quite a reaction. A local radio show host invited me on his show to discuss it. Most of the callers were black and attacked me for what they considered my naivete.
The next day, the station manager called and said: "You were magnificent yesterday. You took difficult positions and defended them without losing your temper or your sense of humor. Have you ever thought about doing talk radio? I have a host on vacation next week, and I'd like you to substitute."
I did the week, thoroughly enjoyed it and decided to pursue this as a career. I made a cassette tape with excerpts from that week of shows and mailed it to two Los Angeles talk radio stations. There was no interest.
Back to Dennis. The station where he worked became the first 24/7 political talk station in America. The day the station switched its format to all talk all the time, my mother tuned into it on the house radio and never turned it off.
"You met Dennis!" she shrieked. "And he invited you on his show?! He almost never has guests!" It was as if I had met Elvis.
Months later, I was in Los Angeles, and I called Dennis. I left a message. The next day, my mother grabbed the phone and slammed it down. "Call him again! If he said he'll have you on, he'll have you on! Call him again right now!"
Dennis answered, apologized for not getting back to me and invited me on the show. The interview lasted nearly two hours. Before every break, Dennis asked if I could stay longer. He gushed about my appearance. I told him about my interest in talk radio and asked if he would recommend me to management. He said, "I've been asked many times to do that and have always refused. But in your case, I'd be honored."
Thanks to Dennis, I'm now past the 30-year mark in my nationally syndicated radio career, a journey that has led to so many other wonderful opportunities. Dennis and I are great friends and have enjoyed many deep conversations about religion, politics and life. The man is an international treasure and deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dennis and I broadcast from the same studio for Salem Communications. Expect him to have a thing or two to say when he comes back.
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