This week, it was announced that the Alabama-based “Rick and Bubba Show” is ending after 30 years on the air.

Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bassey have been bringing laughter, tears, faith, sports commentary, and everything in between to listeners since 1994.

But how did the duo get their start before providing a show watched and heard by millions of people every week?

In fact, they attended Jacksonville State University together and eventually became friends after attending rival high schools.

According to 104.7WZZK, the two went their separate ways after school, and Bill became Gadsden's chief engineer. When his station was looking for a new morning man, Bill recommended Rick for the job, which led to the two having lunch together and brainstorming ideas for Rick's show at the time. Became.

Eventually, Bill became a regular participant on the show and was given the nickname “Bubba”, and eventually “Bubba” became a regular co-host due to his chemistry with Rick. Thus, “The Rick and Bubba Show” was born.

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Eventually, the show became so popular that it was expanded and syndicated throughout the Southeast. The show is currently broadcast in 18 states, making it one of the most well-known morning radio shows in the United States.

The five-hour daily broadcast exposes listeners to both men's commentary on a wide range of topics, and that diversity is one of the reasons the show has become so popular.

The two men both share a strong belief in God, which was prevalent from the beginning of the show.

The show is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is seen and heard by millions of people across the YouTube platform and the Rick and Bubba Podcast, where listeners can listen to the show on-demand after the fact if they can't watch it live. can do.

In order to give you a sense of how popular the program is, alabama press In 2015, when we asked readers who should be on Mount Rushmore in the state, Rick and Bubba received more votes than any other candidate, three times as many as Nick Saban. In 2017, yellow hammer news He also named Rick and Bubba on his annual “Power and Influence List.”

The show will be sorely missed by listeners across the United States if this iconic duo actually goes off the air, but both Rick and Bubba are confident they'll finish 2024 on a high by then. talking.

Michael Brauner is a senior sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP