Harold Lee Rush
Bio
The creative genius and performance energy of Harold Lee
Rush has been recognized and celebrated for over four decades. At Chicago’s
famed Englewood High School, Harold was a multi-year President of the Drama
Club and was voted Most Talented and Most Likely To Succeed of the class of
1968. He then toured nationally with the Robin Hood Players Professional Theatre Company and appeared in the first Black-produced dramatic TV
series in the U.S., "Bird of 
the Iron Feather” on Chicago’s Public Television
Station WTTW. During this time, he also performed with various Black theatre
organizations in a variety of roles.
In 1982, Harold's broadcasting talents were discovered by Marv Dyson, who hired him at Chicago’s WGCI radio as the producer and co-host of the powerhouse morning show, first with Bob Wall (as the only Black-White morning duo in a major market), then with Doug Banks, where Rush created the “Front Page” segment, which has been copied in morning shows across the country. In the decade at the Gannett-owned company, Rush hosted broadcasts all over the U.S. and around the world, including London, Senegal, Jamaica and the Bahamas, becoming one of the most well-known media personalities in Chicago, hosting TV shows, adjunct teaching at Columbia College Chicago and speaking at high schools, universities and organizations throuout the Midwest.
In addtion to program hosting and
producing at WGCI AM/FM, Rush also worked at Johnson Publishing Company as
morning show host at WLNR FM radio and announcer for “Ebony-Jet Showcase” TV
show; served as a Talk Show Host at WVON radio and hosted two television
series’ at CAN-TV (“Rush Street” and “One Step Closer To The Top”, which
featured youth talent). Rush has also
authored internationally award winning poetry and is much in demand as a Spoken
Word artist.
Rush’ community service has been recognized and honored by
many organizations including Outstanding Young Men of America (1983 and 1986),
UNCF Distinguished Leader Award (1987), Malcolm X College (Honorary Degree
1984), Chicago Board of Education and The Chicago Police Department “We Care”
Role Model Program (1987-1990) and the Monarch Award from Xi Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1987).
After ten years in Atlanta, having expanded
his broadcast horizons to include program management at WIGO radio and
mastering emerging Internet technologies, Harold returned to Chicago in 2003 to
take up marketing responsibilities for The Bronzeville Press’ release of
‘KINGS: The True Story of Chicago’s Policy Kings and Numbers Racketeers’, with
publisher Nathan Thompson.
2005 brought Rush to WKKC FM, the official radio station of the City Colleges of Chicago as an On-Air Talent and Trainer for students in the Broadcast programs.
You can hear “Live with Harold Lee Rush” Tuesdays from
10AM – 2PM CT on 893 WKKC and www.WKKC.FM.
I Am Black Chicago