Written by guest author, Frieda Powers
The date of February 17 is burned into the memory of millions who were forced to say goodbye to the mighty voice of radio legend, Rush Limbaugh three years ago.
The conservative radio host and pioneer left the airwaves and the earth at age 70 on February 17, 2021, but he remains very much alive in the hearts of millions of his loyal fans whom he lovingly referred to as “dittoheads.”
As another calendar page turns and marks the third anniversary of his passing, the love continues for the once most listened-to radio personality, a master of his craft whose voice energized and embodied generations of conservatives. The spirit of the God-loving patriot lives on as Limbaugh’s loyal followers keep his memory alive through tributes, writing, fan clubs, and talk shows of their own.
James Golden, the talk radio producer, call screener, and radio host also known as Bo Snerdley, worked with Limbaugh for three decades and continues the fight on the air every weekday at 4 pm on WABC, New York, the station where the two radio icons first met. Snerdley also does a 3-hour Saturday show that has blown away competitors in the ratings and he’s the founder of TheDailyBS.com, a daily news stack which rivals the old Drudge.
Another way Limbaugh fans have expressed their admiration for the legend is through art. One famous artist, known as Sabo, lovingly created a masterpiece tribute to Limbaugh, titled “MahaRushi,” The labor of love took on a life of its own when he asked fans to contribute to the piece.
A political guerrilla artist who employs culture jamming to disrupt and subvert what he believes is a pervasive leftist narrative in today’s creative arts and media culture, Sabo reasons that “if art isn’t political, it’s just wallpaper.” The pseudonym “Sabo” is derived from the “SABOT” round fired from the M-60 series main battle tank that he crewed in the Marine Corps.
Never a traditional gallery artist, Sabo has considered his galleries to be the billboards, ad instillations, and surfaces found on the streets of Los Angeles. He’s known as the first and only prolific, hard-hitting, right-leaning, political street artist in America – which understandably opens him up to constant controversy and being silenced, critiqued, and deplatformed by social media giants including Facebook, Twitter, PayPal and Instagram.
Since the 1990s, Sabo has used his satirical street art to convey political and social commentary on streets, walls, billboards, and street signs in Los Angeles which are quickly removed, erased, or taken down.
Well-known examples include altering the billboard to advertise “The Greatest Showman” with an image of former Sen. Al Franken in 2017.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Sabo unveiled his artistic take on Sen. Ted Cruz, then vying for the Republican nomination. The senator was transformed into a tattooed, bare-chested, cigarette-smoking work of art.
I hope you have that in your office, along with my fave from #SABO — from the Ted Cruz Blacklisted & Lovin It Tour!! pic.twitter.com/s49Llf5R7V
— Roxanne Hoge (@RoxanneHoge) October 12, 2020
Sabo took his love and respect for Limbaugh and merged it with his talent for expression, creating a tribute to the man he called a “true virtuoso” in his field.
BIRTH OF A NEWS JUNKIE
“I was a bonafide news junkie.,” the artist said of his early love of AM radio, recalling how he would have his “little black Sony AM radio” on from “the moment I woke up, to when I rested my head on that pillow to go to sleep.”
“It was hard to believe that AM radio, the bastard child of not only radio but of all of media turned into this monumental threat to the Left. They tried everything to shut it down,” Sabo said. “And who was the man responsible for making it the threat that it became? The one and only Rush Limbaugh. Everyone else who did what he did seemed a bit like a clone.”
“Every morning, for three hours, with half his brain tied behind his back and talent on loan from God, Rush was able to make something as dry as politics understandable and entertaining for millions of people across the fruited plain,” Sabo recalled of the conservative radio giant.
“A true virtuoso in his field comparable to Jordan on the court, Tyson in the ring, Brady on the gridiron or Tiger on the green … Rush was our GOAT, there was no equal and he made it look easy,” the artist continued.
Like countless other Limbaugh fans, Sabo expressed how there were few people in his life like Limbaugh who ” spoke to me, day in – year out, in a way that made me feel that I wasn’t alone or crazy in how I thought about my country and the people in it.”
AN IDEA TAKES SHAPE
Sabo admitted that he “just had to” express himself in art after Limbaugh died in 2021, saying, “It would have never occurred to me that I would create something to commemorate his or anyone’s passing.”
What started as a poster of Limbaugh as MahaRushi that he distributed out on the street in Los Angeles led Sabo to wonder if he could turn it into a painting.
“Now I don’t consider myself a painter and I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but again, I just felt that I had to,” he shared.
Sabo’s labor of love with his tribute to Limbaugh was documented on video as he brought the image to life.
“It took months and more stencils than I can remember to put this together,” Sabo recounted, saying he wanted to be “loose and free” with the piece. His efforts to reach the texture he wanted by scrubbing the canvas eventually even led to a hole in the work.
The video of the process gives an eye-opening glimpse into the long process, the bounty of supplies, the physical effort, and the satisfaction of ‘signing’ the finished work.
THE FANS RESPOND
What tribute to the great Rush Limbaugh would be complete without the heart of his fans?
Sabo remarked there was “no turning back” from his ingenious idea to incorporate something more personal into the finished piece, deciding to use cigar bands to frame the canvas as a nod to the cigar aficionado.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to frame the piece at first but when I thought of having a frame completely covered in cigar bands there was no turning back, I had to do it,” he said.
He took it a step further by deciding to involve the fans, sending out a message for paper contributions after a friend sent bands of the Kentucky Gentleman brand.
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“Individuals as well as cigar clubs from all around the country really came through,” Sabo said, as he showcased the offerings with a shout-out to the donors. “Hundreds of bands later – the frame turned out beautifully.”
Rightfully proud of the finished work of art, Sabo reflected on how this particular work pushed him as an artist.
“I painted in ways I’d never done before, letting go, hoping, knowing it would turn out nice and I believe that it did,” he said. “I’m happy with it. I hope one day I’ll be able to do a huge mural of this in South Florida or Texas.”
And while he has not announced any plans for a mural as of yet, Sabo is hopeful that Rush Limbaugh fans will be able to appreciate the artistic homage in their own way.
“My hope,” he said, “is that this piece finds a home hanging where friends gather to enjoy a good cigar and conversation.”
The one-of-a-kind painting could draw more than six figures due to its profound significance, and Sabo has only recently considered parting with it. Maybe a home in Mar-a-Lago would be appropriate?
Sabo had previously gifted a 40 x 30 print of the painting to his friend, Mr. Snerdley, who reportedly loved it so much, he asked if he could offer it on the Daily BS store which opens later this week.
The colors are as vibrant as the MahaRushi himself and the artist who so beautifully captured him.
Below, see the videos of Sabo receiving cigar bands and photos of the process as he melded them into a group tribute to the legendary Limbaugh. You can find other original art pieces from Sabo at unsavoryagents.com.
PHOTOS:
Frieda Powers is a veteran writer and editor at BizPac Review.
