Profile by Summer Lane |
There’s just something about the radio.
Maybe it’s the delicious crackling of static when you turn the dial or the thrill of catching your favorite song on your local station. Maybe it’s the relaxing timbre of your favorite radio host’s voice as he breaks down the latest political events or the rapid-fire broadcast of a baseball game.
Whatever it is, it’s a tangible magic that can’t quite be recreated on TikTok or Facebook. The radio era is a feeling and a rush of nostalgic Americana that is hard to forget.
It is this bygone golden era of radio broadcasting that has become an art form to Paul Leslie, host of The Paul Leslie Hour.
For 20 years, Leslie has been serving up thoughtful interviews with guests from across the board. In fact, this year, Leslie celebrated successfully interviewing more than 1,000 people ranging from actor Jeff Bridges (his first high-profile interview) to Dick Carlson (the father of famed journalist Tucker Carlson).
Leslie’s love for the radio began when he was young, when his first foray into storytelling began with the power of the pen.
“The Paul Leslie Hour as it is today, it’s the result of someone who really, really loved radio – the way it was, and also music – but it even goes back before that. First, it was writing,” he told Write Revolution News.
Leslie – who splits his time between South Carolina and Georgia – was first published in a local newspaper at the tender age of 7. “I was always interested in people’s opinion,” he said, citing his love for the editorial section of the newspaper.
Perhaps it was this love of opinion that drove his appreciation for old-school radio programs. “Early on I was listening to a lot of people who I thought were great on the radio…I loved Rush Limbaugh,” he said.
At 21, Leslie dreamed up an idea for what his own potential radio show would be like, describing it as a “mix of music and interviews, and I thought it would kind of be a relaxing experience.”
He sent a CD of a one-hour show to the program director of Jimmy Buffett’s radio station Radio Margaritaville. “I said, ‘What do you think?’ And they said, ‘We’re airing it! Send another one!’”
The rest is history. Today, the show is available as a podcast on streaming platforms like iTunes and Spotify.
Over the years, Leslie has sat down with powerhouses like Gene Wilder, Walter Cronkite, Larry King, Maya Angelou, Willie Nelson, and Frank Sinatra Jr.
He has a special appreciation and love for songwriting, jokingly referring to himself as a “songhead” because “I’m fascinated with songwriters and I’m fascinated with how songs came to be.” Some of his favorite interviews include conversations with musicians Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Webb, and Robert Davi.
He’s also interviewed modern political heavy hitters like former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and environmental lawyer and former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Earlier this year, Leslie was even a guest at President Donald Trump’s famous home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, for an event featuring a group that supports the president, The Trumpettes.
“The president was there and that was very electrifying for him to come out and speak, and then Melania Trump was there and I had never seen her in person…it was just a special moment to see the 45th president and the First Lady in the same room,” he said.
Leslie is stunningly humble when recounting the high-profile guests he has spoken with, and perhaps that is the secret to his success. His calm demeanor makes him easy to talk to.
“Stories are so integral to our humanity and I always feel like if I can document someone’s story I’m elevating people…it’s all part of the human experience,” he said.
Some challenges have arisen in the modern age of censorship and Big Tech surveillance, but Leslie says he hasn’t yet experienced the scourge of so-called “cancel culture.”
“I’d have warnings, like on Spotify, on certain interviews that I’ve done,” he said.
But he pointed to journalistic integrity as the antidote to trepidation surrounding today’s censorship-happy regime.
“You just have to start speaking the truth,” he advised.
And there’s a lot more support for truth tellers than people may think.
“When you aren’t afraid of the cancel culture you’re going to see that there’s a lot more people there for you,” he said.
In 2024, the stakes are higher than ever for creative artists and members of the independent media. Just last week, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Americans who engage in “propaganda” pushing (whatever that means) should be potentially civilly and criminally charged. The question, of course, is who gets to define what propaganda is, and what it means.
“This election, from a First Amendment standpoint, it’s one of the most important things that there is,” Leslie said.
He had tough criticism for Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are seeking ways to silence, censor, and shut down voices they don’t want…there is so much wrong with Kamala Harris,” he pointed out.
Leslie applauded President Trump for not only supporting free speech, but for being “somebody who is willing to talk to all of these people.”
“The First Amendment is one of the most important things that is in peril by Kamala Harris,” he reiterated.
Whether it’s hosting musical talent or talking to intellectual political minds like Vivek Ramaswamy, The Paul Leslie Hour offers listeners a relaxing and thoughtful reprieve from shock-jock media, instead showcasing stories and conversations that offer insight, wit, and wisdom.
“Stories are really what it’s all about,” said Leslie.
Photos: Courtesy of Paul Leslie
Check out The Paul Leslie Hour HERE.
See his interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. below:
Also, take a look at Leslie’s recent conversation with former Trump administration official and former political prisoner Peter Navarro:
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