BRETT: Let’s go back out on the phones and talk to Frank in Glendora, California. Frank, welcome to the program. I’m Brett Winterble.

CALLER: How’s it going?

BRETT: Going well, thanks.

CALLER: Listen, I got a really good story for you. I’ve been listening to Rush since day one, and when he did his Rush to Excellence Tour —

BRETT: Sure.

CALLER: — in Southern California, me and my brother went to go see him, and it was great. I admired the guy from day one, and when it was over, I went up to try to talk to him, and I eventually got to talk to him. We shook hands, and I knew from listening to him that he was a fan of William F. Buckley.

BRETT: Yes, sir.

CALLER: And so was I. He changed my life. He talked about William F. Buckley. The funny thing was, I asked him if he was impressed by, you know, Buckley’s accent, the way he talked, and I got him to do an imitation. You know, Rush did stuff like that. He did an imitation of William F. Buckley, and then I did my imitation. Rush was just a nice, regular guy, and that’s what the tremendous memory I got, and I miss the guy.

BRETT: Me too.

CALLER: I miss Rush so much, man.

BRETT: Yeah, me too. We all do. We all do. And I tell you what, Frank. That real guy that you saw up close and personal? That was Rush. And that’s why he never, never, ever thought twice about talking to or having an interaction with folks in the audience, not just on the phones here, obviously.

But whether it was in email or, of course, out in a live event, that was Rush. He was genuine, he was the real deal, and I’m so happy you got to meet him way, way back around 1989 when the Rush to Excellence Tour was in LA. I’m so happy that you got to meet him and see him up close and personal.