A Brief History of Glenn Beck

On February 10 1964, Glenn Beck was born in Mount Vernon, Washington. Tragedy struck early in his life when, at 13, his alcoholic mother drowned herself, according to the article "A Biography of Glenn Beck." Later, Beck and his family moved to Bellingham, Washington, where Beck graduated from high school.

When he was 26 he married his first wife, and they had two daughters. However, like his mother, Beck was an alcoholic, and the marriage lasted only four years. Beck's immediate family helped him become a part of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he overcame his dependence on alcohol. His life changed and in the process, he met Tania. They married in 1999, and have four children.

Media Career

Beck's interest in broadcasting began at the early age of 13. He won a hometown radio contest, and the prize was an hour of airtime. After he graduated from high school, he moved to Salt Lake City and into full time radio. He broadcast in Provo, Baltimore, Houston, Phoenix, Washington and Connecticut.

After he quit drinking, he returned to radio as a talk show host, and he soon had an avid following. His rise to success was the result of his conservative views. They included being pro-life, a supporter of the war in Iraq and having strong family values. In addition, his position against open homosexuality on television, the liberalism in Hollywood, euthanasia, multiculturalism and political correctness further fortified his conservative following.

National Syndication

Radios "Glenn Beck Program" began in 2000, and by 2002, over forty-seven stations broadcast his show. Soon, his show was on over 100 stations.

Television Career

In 2006, Beck hosted a prime-time show on CNN, in 2008; he moved his show to Fox News where he's hugely successful. His radio show is the third most listened to show on cable television.

Glenn Beck Rallies

Beck also organizes conservative patriotic rallies across the nation, where conservative activism is openly, and peacefully, on display. He sometimes hosts them alone, and sometimes with influential conservatives, like Bill O'Reilly and Sarah Palin. His latest, called "Restoring Honor," had an estimated 300,000 + patriots in front of the Washington Monument, celebrating conservatism.

Justin Quinn: A Biography of Glenn Beck: about.com