Neal Boortz

Boortz was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, his mother's home. His father was a Marine Corps pilot, who served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. Describing himself as a "military brat", Boortz lived in many locations throughout the country (including the small community of Thrall, Texas).[4] He spent his first two years of high school at Tustin Union High School in Tustin, California. The family then moved to Florida. Boortz graduated from Pensacola High School, in 1963. He attended Texas A&M University, but did not graduate.[5] Boortz later attended John Marshall Law School, in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating in 1977 and passing the Georgia bar.[6]

Boortz and Sean Hannity in 2008

Neal Boortz at a FairTax Rally in February 2008

Boortz began his radio career in College Station, Texas in the 1960s at WTAW, under the name of Randy Neal, while attending Texas A&M University.[7][8] In 1967, after leaving Texas, Boortz moved to Atlanta and landed a sales job. For two years he worked at Rich's Department Store, where he sold jewelry and carpeting. He later recollected that one of his customers was Martin Luther King Jr. During that time, Boortz was an avid listener of AM 680 WRNG (now WCNN). The station called itself "Ring Radio," as in the ring of a telephone. It was Atlanta's first talk radio station. Boortz listened to morning talk show host, Herb Elfman, and soon became a devotee. "Boortz bombarded Elfman with calls, reading him little scripts he'd scribbled."[9]

While watching the news one evening, he heard that Elfman had committed suicide. The next morning, Boortz showed up at the front door of WRNG and announced that he was ready to take Elfman's place. Even though the management told him that "they were going to search for a 'qualified' host to take his place," Boortz was offered the role of temporary two-week replacement. In the interim, the evening host was moved to mornings and Boortz hosted the evening time slot. Two weeks later, Boortz was moved to the morning show, embarking on an Atlanta talk radio career that spanned more than forty years.[6] Boortz honed his skills at the tiny 1,000-watt station, and even wrote a few speeches for then Georgia Governor Lester Maddox. He continued working at the station until 1974, when WRNG "dumped him." He was offered a job at radio station WGY in Schenectady, New York, but turned the offer down to return to Atlanta and enroll in law school. In 1974, Boortz enrolled in then-unaccredited John Marshall Law School (Atlanta) going to class in his spare time, while he and his wife Donna worked full-time loading mail trucks. Boortz credits his wife with providing "the money to keep me in law school."[9] After graduating from law school in 1977, Boortz practiced law in a solo law firm from 1977 through 1993.[5] During that period, he divided his time between his law practice and work in radio. One of Boortz's clients was boxer Evander Holyfield. Holyfield later sued Boortz and other members of his management team in the aftermath of a failed Subaru car dealership investment. Boortz told Atlanta Magazine "It had nothing to do with representing him as a boxer. It was settled and disappeared."[9] Some time later, in a heated on-air exchange between Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell and Boortz, Campbell remarked on the Holyfield relationship: Campbell (sarcastically): By the way, Neal, Evander Holyfield sends his regards ... We talked a little about how good he's doing now and the fact he's getting ready to open up his 57,000 square-foot, $20 million home. How he's fighting for $35 million a fight. I was sorta thinking about when you were representing him. He was living in an apartment over on Lenox Road. He was fighting for about $20,000 a fight. It's sort of interesting how your great legal skills have transferred into financial well-being for Evander . ... [9] Boortz responded by calling mayor Campbell an "unethical son of a bitch." Boortz later remarked "It's the only time I've ever been on the air that I lost control."[9] In 1993, Boortz closed his law practice and devoted his full-time to his radio career.

While in law school, Boortz returned to work at WRNG. In 1983 he moved to the larger news-talk radio station WGST. He later recounted how he would often go into work at his law office at 5 a.m., work there for several hours, then go to WGST, and finally back to the law office until 11:00 p.m.[9] In 1992, Boortz asked WGST for a raise; a salary equal to his combined income as an attorney and a radio host. When WGST refused, Boortz left. He got his raise when he signed an exclusive contract with AM 750 WSB to host a weekday radio show. Shortly after that, he closed his law office. In 1995, Talkers Magazine named Boortz one of the "25 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America". That same year, Georgia Trend magazine added Boortz to its list of the "100 Most Powerful & Influential People in Georgia"[10]

In 1999, his show became nationally syndicated through WSB's owner Cox Radio. The show continued to be based in Atlanta. The Neal Boortz Show featured Boortz, producers Belinda Skelton and Royal Marshall, interviews, and callers. On the air and on his website, Boortz admonished his listeners to take no heed nor place any credence in anything he said, presenting himself as merely an "entertainer."[6] As an entertainer, Boortz was a 2002 NAB Marconi Radio Awards finalist and Radio & Records NewsTalk Personality of the Year for 2002.[11]

In 2007, Boortz and his radio show were awarded "Best Radio On-Air Personality" and "Best Radio Program, Any Type" by The Georgia Association of Broadcasters. He was also a recipient of the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame 2007 Career Achievement Award.[12] The Neal Boortz Show originated from the nation's ninth largest radio market[13] and was ranked the sixth overall most listened to radio program in the country.[14] In 2008, Boortz was a finalist for the National Association of Broadcasters "Marconi Award" as the nation's best syndicated radio personality. (The award went to Glenn Beck).[15]

Boortz was inducted in the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2009.[16]

Boortz retired from full-time radio work in 2013. [17]

Boortz on a book tour for Somebody's Gotta Say It

Boortz's first foray into authorship was in 1997 with The Commencement Speech You Need To Hear, in which he delivers his opinions on various topics in the form of a commencement speech he would give to new college graduates, if ever invited to do so.[2] His second book, entitled The Terrible Truth About Liberals, was published in 1998, and contains reprinted material from his first book, along with a significant amount of new material.[3]

His third book (co-authored by Georgia Congressman John Linder) entitled The FairTax Book, explains the proposal to implement a national retail sales tax in lieu of the federal income taxes, payroll taxes, estate tax, etc.[18] The hardcover version held the #1 non-fiction spot on the New York Times bestseller list for the last two weeks of August 2005 and remained in the top ten for seven weeks.[19] The paperback released in May 2006 contains additional information, an afterword and several revisions of misstatements made in the hardcover edition. It also spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.[19] Boortz claims to have donated 100% of his royalties from the FairTax book to charity and has commented on his radio show that he has not made one cent from the book.[20] As of July 2006, Boortz claims his charitable donations from book proceeds exceed one hundred thousand US dollars.[20] The book is one of his most frequent topics of discussion.

His fourth book entitled Somebody's Gotta Say It was released on February 20, 2007,[21] and debuted at #2 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, second only to Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope.[22] He occasionally writes columns on the Internet news/commentary site Townhall.com and other online magazines.

His 2008 book is titled FairTax: The Truth.[23] This book attempts to answer the critics of the Fair Tax proposal and claims to correct some of its myths and misrepresentations. It achieved #4 on the New York Times Best Seller list for the week of March 2, 2008 for paperback nonfiction.

After Boortz retired from talk radio in January 21, 2013, Maybe I Should Just Shut Up and Go Away! (ISBN 978-0988940345) was published in hardcover by Carpenter's Son Publishing in Franklin Tennessee.

After Boortz retired from full-time radio work in 2013, he hosted commentaries for WSB for six more years, until they were discontinued by station.[17]

In January 2022, Boortz returned to radio part-time on WFOM (1230 AM, "Xtra 106.3" FM) in Atlanta, Georgia. Boortz pre-records "The Boortz Report", a commentary that is aired several times each weekday, and appears on the station at least once a week for live segments with the local morning hosts.[17][24]