January 28, 2025 • 24 mins
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Mike Gallagher, starting with such diverse interests in both literature and theatre with his iconic portrayal of a radio DJ on Broadway's "Memphis" and his provocative books like "Surrounded by Idiots." As we dive into our conversation, Mike reveals the driving force behind his multifaceted career and the profound messages that underpin his work.
Our discussion takes a heartfelt turn as we honor a two-decade-long partnership with Food for the Poor, a collaboration that has transformed lives across the globe. Mike recounts the emotional satisfaction of mobilizing his audience, 'Gallagher's Army', to provide relief in places like Jamaica, Guatemala, Haiti, and West-Central Florida. The unwavering generosity of Mike's listeners has built safe homes, delivered life-saving meals to families, and offered emergency relief and hope in the face of natural disasters and war-torn countries, proving the powerful impact of community compassion.
We wrap up with an emotional tribute to the philanthropic spirit inspired by Mike's late wife, Denise. Her mantra of performing random acts of kindness is echoed in the stories of families uplifted from poverty and the spiritual fulfillment of witnessing the face of Christ through service. With gratitude, Mike and his audience celebrate the Millions of dollars raised, cementing a legacy of blessing others and a call to continue these transformative efforts.
@radiotalkermike
@themikegallaghershow
Beyond The Plate is a podcast by international charity, Food For The Poor
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
So I got to ask you, danny, really quick, all right,
what do you think of when I askyou or tell you a title?
I'm going to use this reallyinteresting title the Happy
Conservative Warrior.
I'm serious, I'm not kiddingyou.
It conjures thoughts betweenlike like a like a mr rogers.
Okay, meets uh, william wallace, the, the character from brave
(00:30):
freedom, that's it it's a oneline, right, exactly.
It's kind of like you know it's.
It's a cross between remindingus about the helpers who mr
rogers so coin, so beautifullycoined.
You know he I think it was hismom that said this that the
helpers get us through toughtimes.
But then there's the neverbacking down against the
freedoms that is at stake.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Well, you know what You're actually describing
somebody very, very near-noseright now, and it's here because
this is our next guest.
That's how near it is.
He is a best-selling author.
I've written two booksSurrounded by Idiots, which I
hope that wasn't loosely basedon the time with us today.
No, I think you wrote thatbefore you met us, Just in case.
Fighting liberal lunacy inAmerica and 50 things liberals
(01:13):
love to hate.
He's also appeared on stage andon film as an actor, with
feature roles in regionaltheater and Broadway, such as
Daddy Warbucks and Annie.
It's a hard knock life.
Oh yeah, tomorrow.
Tomorrow you can try that again, tomorrow we also.
He was also featured onBroadway in a musical in Memphis
.
Mike's done other stage rolesthat include guys and dolls.
(01:36):
A funny thing, I think.
In one of those, mike, I thinkyou were casted as a radio DJ.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
In Memphis, memphis.
Yeah, was that hard, did you?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
prepare.
Did you prepare for that?
Yeah, I got the other roles.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It was method acting, guys.
It was method acting.
I actually played the white DJ.
It's a cool story and firstI'll tell you real quickly I
don't want to interrupt yourwonderful introduction.
I mean I'm going to give you ahalf hour to cut that out if you
want to keep going.
But of course I go way backwith Food for the Poor and Paul
and Danny.
(02:08):
It's great to visit with youguys.
The musical Memphis was about1950s segregated Memphis,
tennessee, and a great musical.
One of my favorites was a TonyAward winner and for a period of
time they cast me as the whiteDJ.
Now it's important that youknow the difference between the
white DJ and the black DJ,because the show opened with a
(02:30):
guy, a very boring kind of aCasper Milk Toast white disc
jockey, who said and it was inMemphis.
So he started the show bysaying we want to welcome you in
and we're listening to the hitsof Rosemary Clooney and Pat
Boone, and then and then andthen there'd be a blackout and
then a black DJ would come onand he was like we're going to
(02:51):
give you the biggest hits fromBeale street in Memphis.
It was a great contrast.
So it was a cameo, but it wasthe opening of the show and I
got to play it at the famedSchubert theater on Broadway.
And then I went on tour and didit in about 13 or 14 cities
around the country and it wasone of the highlights of my life
to get to actually playBroadway for a pretty brief
(03:13):
period of time, but it was a lotof fun.
So thank you for remembering mytheatrical background.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Amazing.
I love the vocal, mikeGallagher, to be on the plate
here today.
And, mike, this might be aunique thing for you, when, when
you're asking all the questionson your show and now it's
asking, I mean it's probably itfeels like you're a guest at
your own party or a magicianwho's asked to reveal his
secrets.
I'm not used to.
I'm not used to this.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm kind of uncomfortable.
I'm already sweating bullets.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Are you sweating over there?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I could probably sweating bullets.
Are you sweating over there?
I could probably.
I hope you guys don't treat methe way sometimes I treat some
of my guests, particularlypeople who disagree with me, not
at all, not at all, not at all.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Your family.
Here you got it.
Food for the poor has someguiding principles and one of
those is urgency.
And when we think of this, Iremember the calls we got from
you in the aftermath ofhurricane Ian this is late
September of 2022, thatdevastated communities in the
Gulf Coast of Florida, and youwere calling Food for the Poor
to ask how can I help now?
(04:13):
Now this is one month after ourannual campaign with you to
help serve families in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, which
you raised over $107,000 forlife-saving food for children
and families, and then, in theaftermath of Ian, through your
listeners, you then went andraised over $83,000, which was
raising over 10 days, in 10 daysto deliver that much needed
(04:36):
hurricane relief supplies forthose hurricane survivors.
Now, how can I help now?
That's just a simple butpowerful question.
If someone asked you, mike,this after a disaster, how would
you answer them?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Well, first of all, food for the Poor is woven into
the fabric the DNA of the MikeGallagher show.
Years ago, my late wife told me, instead of just jawboning
about issues, why don't you takeyour big audience and make a
difference in people's lives?
And Food for the Poor has sucha special place in my heart.
(05:09):
In fact, as Paul well knows,there's a house now in Jamaica,
the Denise Gallagher house thata family in Jamaica lives in
that Food for the Poor built inhonor of my wife who passed away
from cancer in 2008.
And she still is very much apart of my heart and I carry her
(05:30):
with me everywhere.
And I remember her indomitablespirit.
And she and I didn't oftenagree politically I was married
to a Democrat, so we had somefeisty dinner table
conversations, but sheultimately respected what I do
for a living and she supportedme, even though we didn't always
(05:50):
agree, and she really believedin the mission of helping do
good, of helping people who arein poverty.
And thanks to Food for the Poorand the mission trips I've been
on over the years and traveledall over the world.
I witnessed, as you guys know,firsthand poverty the likes of
which I've never seen before,and so it was always my goal as
(06:15):
a spokesman for Food for thePoor to convey that sense of
urgency to our audience.
You can't wait weeks or monthswhen somebody is starving today.
You can't wait three weeks fromnow when somebody doesn't have
clean drinking water.
You can't wait a month or sixweeks when somebody is living
under a tarp on the side of ahill and confronting mudslides
(06:39):
and the elements.
And so Food for the Poor andthe Mike Gallagher Show over the
years have sort of presentedthis urgency to our audience.
And look, over the years, I amjust blown away by the
generosity of the audience.
It's not me, it's not even youguys, it's not Food for the Poor
(07:00):
, it's the blessing that is thisaudience.
I often brag that the MikeGallagher show audience is the
most generous audience in thecountry.
And you know we often haveplayful competitions with some
of our fellow Salem shows.
Oh yeah, and I and look, Ialways kick their butts, I buy
our show always wins.
(07:21):
We always come out on top, muchto the chagrin of Hugh Hewitt
who often has to come in secondor third.
And it is playful.
And of course the beauty ofcompeting is that together
combined, we're all doing a lotof good.
Well, we're combining all ofour audiences all of our
audiences who lovingly donate tochildren in Guatemala, who
(07:46):
lovingly support families inHaiti, who lovingly step up and
say we're going to save livestoday.
And so, danny, you're so rightabout the urgency and that sense
of urgency, and I'm verygratified that, over the years,
our audience seems to recognizeit and they will continue to do
so for years to come.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Gallagher's.
Army we can just take a momentto recognize them.
Since we're on the topic of theaudience.
We're talking about, mike.
You have been working hand inhand with Food for the Poor for
almost 20 years.
Gallagher's Army has raisedmillions of dollars.
Homes have been built forfamilies who now live under safe
(08:28):
shelter, children and families,entire communities fed with
healthy, nutritious food.
Their health is back on track.
Water has been provided.
We're talking about safe waterfrom the options, where it was a
stream, a field, just terriblewater conditions.
Where they were first gettingtheir water.
Now they get safe and cleanwater Meals delivered to
(08:52):
displaced Ukrainian families.
Let's not forget that in 2022.
Hurricane relief sent righthere at home in three different
hurricanes within the past twoyears, and now you see the
hurricanes Helene and Miltonstriking 13 days apart in the
West Central Florida area.
I mean, others were busyreporting the news and you were
(09:15):
helping and your listeners werehelping families to pick up the
pieces and rebuild.
So it's staggering.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Well, it is staggering because every single
time we put out the call to helpthey do, they step up.
And look, I'll be very candid,I always worry before every
campaign we do, I'm alwaysstressing that it's not going to
work, that people aren't goingto work.
Look, we've had a lot ofchallenges financially.
The economy is tough, peoplewith inflation are having a hard
(09:41):
time buying groceries, peopleare having a hard time paying
the rent, paying the mortgage.
Yet, no matter how challengedwe may be as a country, the Mike
Gallagher Show audiencecontinually steps up.
And Paul, you're right, I mean,I'm a Floridian.
Now, a few years ago I movedout of New York City.
The taxes and the quality oflife chased me out and I decided
(10:02):
to move to the free and fairstate of Florida.
I love it here, but boy, thehurricanes have been devastating
.
People have no idea outside ofthe zone of Milton or Helene
what Floridians have gonethrough.
What people in Western NorthCarolina went through is
unimaginable.
It's almost indescribable.
(10:23):
And this is the beauty of ourshow's partnership with Food for
the Poor.
I mean, it's astounding.
We've never had a campaign thatfell flat.
Every single campaign seems tosoar, and I'm in a perpetual
state of gratitude at thegenerosity of our audience.
It'd be kind of fun.
I've never done this.
(10:44):
I've always wanted to kind oftally up, total up what we've
done over the years.
That would be kind of crazy tosee just how generous our
audience is.
I don't know what the number is, but I do know that our
audience never, never fails toheed the call.
And you're right, paul, therewas a time I would sound the
trumpet.
(11:04):
We'd say, all right,gallagher's Army, we got to go.
We got an army of people thatwe need to step up here, because
we got a lot of hurting people,we've got a lot of starving
children, we've got a lot of uh,homeless families that can use
your help, and so we'll soundthe bugle and we get the army
mobilized and it's it, just it's.
It's honestly, guys, it's the.
It's the most fulfilling,rewarding aspect of my job.
(11:28):
You know, I've been, I've beendoing this for 45 years.
I've been at this since 1978.
And I've been, I've been a bigmouth in front of a microphone
or a camera, and it was only aBroadway show and a bra or
Broadway show, yeah, but.
But I've never been able to toget this kind of fulfillment and
this kind of um satisfyingrelief in in making a difference
(11:49):
in somebody's life, and again,it's all our audience.
There's nothing like theAmerican people.
They step up when called uponand it's a true blessing, it's a
true true blessing.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
In almost 20 years, millions of dollars have been
raised.
Just in these last twohurricanes in Florida, helene
and Milton more hundreds to thetune of almost 700 families
literally picking up the piecesbecause of the efforts of the
Gallagher army.
But this is the interestingthing.
We talk about the fun that hehas with regards to these
campaigns.
I've never told this, I'venever told you, mike, I've never
(12:25):
told anybody this story.
I'm in NRB and I'm standingnext to the great sage from
South Central, larry Elder, andhe comes up to me and my boss at
the time, alice Marino.
You remember Alice, mike, ofcourse love her.
He says so what's Mike's secretsauce?
What do you think he does?
(12:45):
He's doing out there?
What do you think?
You know?
This is like about a month, amonth or so before the campaign,
and I said well, you know, hejust he rallies his listeners,
he gets behind it.
You know, larry, I, I just youknow, he's just got a real heart
for this he was.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
I got something coming for him, uh, and you know
what?
And he, and he delivered you.
Let me tell you what he did.
Well, and let me let me also,as paul harvey used to say, give
you the rest of the story right, because I remember, I remember
that campaign like it wasyesterday.
Because let me tell you whatLarry did.
Larry's like Hugh, hugh Hewitt,they don't like to lose.
And so Larry was fired up thatI kept blowing everybody away
with with our campaign success.
(13:23):
And Larry, he, he wrote to metoo.
He said Mike, what's yoursecret?
And in a rare moment ofcockiness and I regret it to
this day, I should have neverdone this I stupidly said Larry,
I'm just that good.
Well, that gave him a sense ofdetermination and purpose, and I
(13:45):
do begrudgingly need to reportthat that one campaign, larry
blew me out of the water.
Larry had Larry actually wonthat campaign.
As I remember that was a numberof years ago, paul, but he did,
he won and he was the happiestguy in the world.
And you know what, for one timeI didn't mind giving him the
win.
I'll take the loss because westill did great, we had a great
(14:07):
campaign.
But and it was my fault,because I should have never said
something as cocky and asarrogant as I'm just that good,
I didn't even mean it.
I was trying to be a smartaleck and boy, I paid the price
in the end.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Wow, that's amazing.
So we see what gives him theextra gear that he goes into
with these campaigns.
And also he's feeding others.
So let's keep that up.
I love it.
You know, it's amazing when wethink, mike, back to 2008,.
(14:40):
You brought this up aboutDenise and the home that was
built in honor of Denise.
It's that mom, patriciaFarquharson, that was a mother
in Jamaica that had a home builtin St Elizabeth in the honor of
your late wife, denise, andit's still an enduring place in
your heart.
It's all of us, I mean it's.
It's something that is reallystands out for all of us.
For what was you know what thatmeant to you?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Well, you are, you guys are family, and you know
that I married a single mom andso I witnessed what she went
through as a single mom.
Uh, as we were dating and wefell in love, uh, and it was.
It was a little daunting for mebecause I wound up, you know,
marrying into, uh, a family offive.
(15:22):
I mean she had four, fourlittle boys, and it was a time
when a lot of my friends saiddon't walk, run away from this,
you do not want to take over andmarry into a household.
And I, in very short order,adopted the boys.
We had a great life together.
(15:42):
I have so many warm memories andso many special still
connections and now I've gotfour grown guys that are doing
great all over the country.
I've got a, a, a 16 year oldgranddaughter, lily Denise, who
was born a few months afterDenise passed away, um, and, and
so I know I have a specialplace in my heart for for single
(16:07):
motherhood, and so to know thatthat house was built for a
single mom in in Jamaica, justjust, you're right, paul, it'll
stay with me for the rest of mylife, going back years later and
seeing the house, as you guyslet me do was one of the most
memorable experiences of my lifeand I know Denise is smiling
(16:28):
from heaven and really happythat there's a family that is
living in a house with a doorand windows and lock and
protected from the elements, inher honor and in her memory.
It just means more to me, guys,than you'll ever know.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Now, mike, I want to give a shout out to the
Gallagher's Army.
Yeah, the ones who went beyondthe call of duty, like those,
have many years, have affectedthose families that we talk
about in latin america, and thecaribbean is essentially
changing their lives, familieswhose lives have we also changed
in haiti, families like theantoine family of five the lermy
family husband and wife a youngcouple like the real louise.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
I'm listening here.
I called eric and eric said youalready had it fired up we're
getting.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
We're getting.
You guys are talking on the airfrom our our shot here.
For some reason I'm gettingsorry I was hearing.
Our dear friend robert is in,is in the office with with my
producer tracy oh, okay, sorryabout that, they were, they were
, they must have, they had athey had a switch pulled or
whatever.
So that happens sometimes livebroadcasting.
You know, go ahead.
I didn't want to interrupt you,danny.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Go ahead Again.
We want to mention theGallagher's Army that's affected
lives, Latin America and theCaribbean over the years, and
some of those families thatwe've changed in Haiti, like the
Antoine family of five, theLurmy family husband and wife, a
young couple like thePerrier-Louis family, and an
elderly couple like Mr and MrsCaroleau, who have spent all
(17:57):
their adult life in poverty.
What do you say about that,Mike?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, this is what you guys are.
This is what Food for the Poordoes.
You give hope to the hopeless.
You feed the hungry.
You clothe the naked.
Hope to the hopeless.
You feed the hungry, you clothethe naked.
Food for the Poor is anorganization that is one of the
most powerful presences in theworld.
I mean, when I first learnedabout Food for the Poor, we
(18:24):
began doing these campaigns andI got to travel over to Honduras
and to Jamaica and to Haiti andto see firsthand the work, the
fruits of your labor.
It's what it's all about, andthese are.
I fear sometimes that you know,we hear about the plight of
people in other parts of theworld, but you don't really
(18:45):
understand it, you don'trecognize it.
When I would see the depth ofdespair and just people
straggling to try to find alittle morsel of food to get
them through, two or three daysat a time, it was overwhelming,
and that's why I came back fromthose trips every time more
determined than ever to make adifference and to assist Food
(19:07):
for the Poor and to let ouraudience contribute to this
beautiful blessing that is yourorganization.
There's nothing like food forthe poor in the world and again,
you guys make it a joy for meto come to work and know that
there'll be another campaign,there's going to be another
opportunity for people to stepup.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Always thankful for you, mike.
Thank you and Mike, this hasbeen a true blessing actually to
walk down a memory lane and adeep dive and to your passion
and for families and includingyours and we, every every time
we end up episode.
Here we ended on a positivenote, but in this case we like
to have the last word rightbefore we're going to share this
(19:47):
video with you.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, you know, my Denise had a rule do a random
act of kindness a day, onerandom act of kindness, and I
can't think of a better way forpeople who are watching us right
now, who are learning aboutFood for the Poor, make a
difference.
You know, do something that isunexpected, and it may be
(20:10):
unexpected that you reach out toFood for the Poor and connect
with them.
I love living that.
Look, I've been blessed in life.
I make a good living.
God has been good to me and Idon't like many millions of
people.
I'm at a stage right now in mylife where I don't have to worry
about how to pay the bills, andso, every single day, I try to
find somebody in a, in a fastfood restaurant or a restaurant
(20:33):
that I can pay their mealwithout them knowing it.
If I'm in a drive through and,believe me, there's there's not
a fast food restaurant inFlorida that doesn't know me on
a first name basis, I, I, atleast once a day, I'll say, hey,
I want to pay the, the, thebill for the car behind me.
So do one random act ofkindness that is unexpected,
that is completely unanticipated, and again, to me that's the
(20:56):
most positive thing you can do,you'll feel good all day long.
You'll know you're making adifference in somebody's life
and, frankly, partnering withFood for the Poor is that random
act of kindness that can trulymake a difference in a deserving
person's life.
That, to me, is as positive asit gets.
So remember my Denise andremember that little message
about that mantra.
You know, make a difference insomebody's life and do one
(21:19):
random act of kindness a day.
It's food for the soul, it'llnourish you and it'll make you a
better person.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Now, when you talk about unexpected, we've got an
unexpected person that wanted tosay a few words to you, mike,
before we close the show.
Oh wow, okay, take a listen.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Mike, gallagher a few names here at Foo for the Poor
embody the heart and soul of ourmission.
Like yours, this year wecelebrate together with you
almost 20 years of service tovulnerable communities, whether
in Latin America, the Caribbean,ukraine, the borders of Turkey
and Syria, or right here at homein Florida.
Your compassion has led to morethan $2 million raised, helping
(22:05):
those truly in need.
Foo for the Poor has receivedtens of thousands of gifts and
donations from your audience who, like you, are looking forward
to what the next 15 years willbring together.
Truly thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Mike, wow, that's amazing.
How did you know that?
I just said a few minutes ago Iwondered how we could total it
up over the years.
Wow, that's amazing.
How did you know that?
I just said a?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
few minutes ago, I wondered how we could total it
up over the years.
Wow, here at Beyond the Plate,we go beyond, over and above.
Yes, you did.
You just set us up for our endof every show.
We always end on a positivenote Over 2 million yeah.
Watch this.
At the end of this, I'm goingto share with you a little bit
(22:52):
of that research Ready?
Okay, there we go.
So, mike, we always end everyepisode on a positive note.
You've been practicing, you.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That's good thank you good harmony good harmony, all
right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Yeah, we didn't get on broadway with mike.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
See, I'm done no, there's only room for one star
uh semi-san radio dj he saidthat to larry elder.
Now he just said it to us,challenged you, I know.
I know I should have learned mylesson.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
We end every episode on a positive note, but in this
particular time we're going toend on a positive act, and so we
have Tracy in the studio therewith you, mike, because we have
something that we wanted topresent to you, and if they're
hearing us now, could we pleasepresent Mike with a special
honor from Food for the Poor,wow.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I wonder why she was hovering.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Oh, it's beautiful.
This special honor is calledthe Christ the Beggar statue.
It is a very special meaning toFood for the Poor.
You can find the life-sizeversion of that statue in our
entryway to Food for the Poor'sheadquarters.
I've seen it.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I recognize it, Paul, from when I've been to your
offices.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Great.
The artist who designed thatstatue said I'm devoted to
creating artwork that glorifiesChrist, and the only way that
you can see the face of Christis when you prostrate yourself
and you have served Food for thePoor and the families.
That Food for the Poor servesin the same way.
And so today, this episode,this moment, we honor you, Mike
(24:30):
Gallagher.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
This means more to me than you'll ever know and this
will enjoy a very prominentplace in my home and in my heart
, and you guys at Food for thePoor are my heart and I will
continue to try to bless as manypeople as possible doing the
Lord's work and with thisbrilliant, brilliant, beautiful,
generous audience, and I willalways treasure this.
Thank you for this and thankyou for uh, for your partnership
(24:54):
and your love and yourstewardship.
I'm proud to be part of yourfamily and I'm glad you're part
of mine.
Thank you, mike, thank you guys, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Big fist bump Mike.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Can we get a fist fist bump before you go?
Speaker 3 (25:07):
don't make me, you guys.
It's not fair to make me cry,not make.
Not fair to make me cry, guys.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Thank you family let them roll.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I love this.
It's beautiful.
Thank you so much, guys.
I will absolutely treasure thisforever.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
I appreciate it have a great rest of your day yeah,
you too, thank you, thank you.
So I got to ask you, danny, really quick, all right,
what do you think of when I askyou or tell you a title?
I'm going to use this reallyinteresting title the Happy
Conservative Warrior.
I'm serious, I'm not kiddingyou.
It conjures thoughts betweenlike like a like a mr rogers.
Okay, meets uh, william wallace, the, the character from brave
(00:30):
freedom, that's it it's a oneline, right, exactly.
It's kind of like you know it's.
It's a cross between remindingus about the helpers who mr
rogers so coin, so beautifullycoined.
You know he I think it was hismom that said this that the
helpers get us through toughtimes.
But then there's the neverbacking down against the
freedoms that is at stake.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Well, you know what You're actually describing
somebody very, very near-noseright now, and it's here because
this is our next guest.
That's how near it is.
He is a best-selling author.
I've written two booksSurrounded by Idiots, which I
hope that wasn't loosely basedon the time with us today.
No, I think you wrote thatbefore you met us, Just in case.
Fighting liberal lunacy inAmerica and 50 things liberals
(01:13):
love to hate.
He's also appeared on stage andon film as an actor, with
feature roles in regionaltheater and Broadway, such as
Daddy Warbucks and Annie.
It's a hard knock life.
Oh yeah, tomorrow.
Tomorrow you can try that again, tomorrow we also.
He was also featured onBroadway in a musical in Memphis
.
Mike's done other stage rolesthat include guys and dolls.
(01:36):
A funny thing, I think.
In one of those, mike, I thinkyou were casted as a radio DJ.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
In Memphis, memphis.
Yeah, was that hard, did you?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
prepare.
Did you prepare for that?
Yeah, I got the other roles.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It was method acting, guys.
It was method acting.
I actually played the white DJ.
It's a cool story and firstI'll tell you real quickly I
don't want to interrupt yourwonderful introduction.
I mean I'm going to give you ahalf hour to cut that out if you
want to keep going.
But of course I go way backwith Food for the Poor and Paul
and Danny.
(02:08):
It's great to visit with youguys.
The musical Memphis was about1950s segregated Memphis,
tennessee, and a great musical.
One of my favorites was a TonyAward winner and for a period of
time they cast me as the whiteDJ.
Now it's important that youknow the difference between the
white DJ and the black DJ,because the show opened with a
(02:30):
guy, a very boring kind of aCasper Milk Toast white disc
jockey, who said and it was inMemphis.
So he started the show bysaying we want to welcome you in
and we're listening to the hitsof Rosemary Clooney and Pat
Boone, and then and then andthen there'd be a blackout and
then a black DJ would come onand he was like we're going to
(02:51):
give you the biggest hits fromBeale street in Memphis.
It was a great contrast.
So it was a cameo, but it wasthe opening of the show and I
got to play it at the famedSchubert theater on Broadway.
And then I went on tour and didit in about 13 or 14 cities
around the country and it wasone of the highlights of my life
to get to actually playBroadway for a pretty brief
(03:13):
period of time, but it was a lotof fun.
So thank you for remembering mytheatrical background.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Amazing.
I love the vocal, mikeGallagher, to be on the plate
here today.
And, mike, this might be aunique thing for you, when, when
you're asking all the questionson your show and now it's
asking, I mean it's probably itfeels like you're a guest at
your own party or a magicianwho's asked to reveal his
secrets.
I'm not used to.
I'm not used to this.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm kind of uncomfortable.
I'm already sweating bullets.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Are you sweating over there?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I could probably sweating bullets.
Are you sweating over there?
I could probably.
I hope you guys don't treat methe way sometimes I treat some
of my guests, particularlypeople who disagree with me, not
at all, not at all, not at all.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Your family.
Here you got it.
Food for the poor has someguiding principles and one of
those is urgency.
And when we think of this, Iremember the calls we got from
you in the aftermath ofhurricane Ian this is late
September of 2022, thatdevastated communities in the
Gulf Coast of Florida, and youwere calling Food for the Poor
to ask how can I help now?
(04:13):
Now this is one month after ourannual campaign with you to
help serve families in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, which
you raised over $107,000 forlife-saving food for children
and families, and then, in theaftermath of Ian, through your
listeners, you then went andraised over $83,000, which was
raising over 10 days, in 10 daysto deliver that much needed
(04:36):
hurricane relief supplies forthose hurricane survivors.
Now, how can I help now?
That's just a simple butpowerful question.
If someone asked you, mike,this after a disaster, how would
you answer them?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Well, first of all, food for the Poor is woven into
the fabric the DNA of the MikeGallagher show.
Years ago, my late wife told me, instead of just jawboning
about issues, why don't you takeyour big audience and make a
difference in people's lives?
And Food for the Poor has sucha special place in my heart.
(05:09):
In fact, as Paul well knows,there's a house now in Jamaica,
the Denise Gallagher house thata family in Jamaica lives in
that Food for the Poor built inhonor of my wife who passed away
from cancer in 2008.
And she still is very much apart of my heart and I carry her
(05:30):
with me everywhere.
And I remember her indomitablespirit.
And she and I didn't oftenagree politically I was married
to a Democrat, so we had somefeisty dinner table
conversations, but sheultimately respected what I do
for a living and she supportedme, even though we didn't always
(05:50):
agree, and she really believedin the mission of helping do
good, of helping people who arein poverty.
And thanks to Food for the Poorand the mission trips I've been
on over the years and traveledall over the world.
I witnessed, as you guys know,firsthand poverty the likes of
which I've never seen before,and so it was always my goal as
(06:15):
a spokesman for Food for thePoor to convey that sense of
urgency to our audience.
You can't wait weeks or monthswhen somebody is starving today.
You can't wait three weeks fromnow when somebody doesn't have
clean drinking water.
You can't wait a month or sixweeks when somebody is living
under a tarp on the side of ahill and confronting mudslides
(06:39):
and the elements.
And so Food for the Poor andthe Mike Gallagher Show over the
years have sort of presentedthis urgency to our audience.
And look, over the years, I amjust blown away by the
generosity of the audience.
It's not me, it's not even youguys, it's not Food for the Poor
(07:00):
, it's the blessing that is thisaudience.
I often brag that the MikeGallagher show audience is the
most generous audience in thecountry.
And you know we often haveplayful competitions with some
of our fellow Salem shows.
Oh yeah, and I and look, Ialways kick their butts, I buy
our show always wins.
(07:21):
We always come out on top, muchto the chagrin of Hugh Hewitt
who often has to come in secondor third.
And it is playful.
And of course the beauty ofcompeting is that together
combined, we're all doing a lotof good.
Well, we're combining all ofour audiences all of our
audiences who lovingly donate tochildren in Guatemala, who
(07:46):
lovingly support families inHaiti, who lovingly step up and
say we're going to save livestoday.
And so, danny, you're so rightabout the urgency and that sense
of urgency, and I'm verygratified that, over the years,
our audience seems to recognizeit and they will continue to do
so for years to come.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Gallagher's.
Army we can just take a momentto recognize them.
Since we're on the topic of theaudience.
We're talking about, mike.
You have been working hand inhand with Food for the Poor for
almost 20 years.
Gallagher's Army has raisedmillions of dollars.
Homes have been built forfamilies who now live under safe
(08:28):
shelter, children and families,entire communities fed with
healthy, nutritious food.
Their health is back on track.
Water has been provided.
We're talking about safe waterfrom the options, where it was a
stream, a field, just terriblewater conditions.
Where they were first gettingtheir water.
Now they get safe and cleanwater Meals delivered to
(08:52):
displaced Ukrainian families.
Let's not forget that in 2022.
Hurricane relief sent righthere at home in three different
hurricanes within the past twoyears, and now you see the
hurricanes Helene and Miltonstriking 13 days apart in the
West Central Florida area.
I mean, others were busyreporting the news and you were
(09:15):
helping and your listeners werehelping families to pick up the
pieces and rebuild.
So it's staggering.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Well, it is staggering because every single
time we put out the call to helpthey do, they step up.
And look, I'll be very candid,I always worry before every
campaign we do, I'm alwaysstressing that it's not going to
work, that people aren't goingto work.
Look, we've had a lot ofchallenges financially.
The economy is tough, peoplewith inflation are having a hard
(09:41):
time buying groceries, peopleare having a hard time paying
the rent, paying the mortgage.
Yet, no matter how challengedwe may be as a country, the Mike
Gallagher Show audiencecontinually steps up.
And Paul, you're right, I mean,I'm a Floridian.
Now, a few years ago I movedout of New York City.
The taxes and the quality oflife chased me out and I decided
(10:02):
to move to the free and fairstate of Florida.
I love it here, but boy, thehurricanes have been devastating
.
People have no idea outside ofthe zone of Milton or Helene
what Floridians have gonethrough.
What people in Western NorthCarolina went through is
unimaginable.
It's almost indescribable.
(10:23):
And this is the beauty of ourshow's partnership with Food for
the Poor.
I mean, it's astounding.
We've never had a campaign thatfell flat.
Every single campaign seems tosoar, and I'm in a perpetual
state of gratitude at thegenerosity of our audience.
It'd be kind of fun.
I've never done this.
(10:44):
I've always wanted to kind oftally up, total up what we've
done over the years.
That would be kind of crazy tosee just how generous our
audience is.
I don't know what the number is, but I do know that our
audience never, never fails toheed the call.
And you're right, paul, therewas a time I would sound the
trumpet.
(11:04):
We'd say, all right,gallagher's Army, we got to go.
We got an army of people thatwe need to step up here, because
we got a lot of hurting people,we've got a lot of starving
children, we've got a lot of uh,homeless families that can use
your help, and so we'll soundthe bugle and we get the army
mobilized and it's it, just it's.
It's honestly, guys, it's the.
It's the most fulfilling,rewarding aspect of my job.
(11:28):
You know, I've been, I've beendoing this for 45 years.
I've been at this since 1978.
And I've been, I've been a bigmouth in front of a microphone
or a camera, and it was only aBroadway show and a bra or
Broadway show, yeah, but.
But I've never been able to toget this kind of fulfillment and
this kind of um satisfyingrelief in in making a difference
(11:49):
in somebody's life, and again,it's all our audience.
There's nothing like theAmerican people.
They step up when called uponand it's a true blessing, it's a
true true blessing.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
In almost 20 years, millions of dollars have been
raised.
Just in these last twohurricanes in Florida, helene
and Milton more hundreds to thetune of almost 700 families
literally picking up the piecesbecause of the efforts of the
Gallagher army.
But this is the interestingthing.
We talk about the fun that hehas with regards to these
campaigns.
I've never told this, I'venever told you, mike, I've never
(12:25):
told anybody this story.
I'm in NRB and I'm standingnext to the great sage from
South Central, larry Elder, andhe comes up to me and my boss at
the time, alice Marino.
You remember Alice, mike, ofcourse love her.
He says so what's Mike's secretsauce?
What do you think he does?
(12:45):
He's doing out there?
What do you think?
You know?
This is like about a month, amonth or so before the campaign,
and I said well, you know, hejust he rallies his listeners,
he gets behind it.
You know, larry, I, I just youknow, he's just got a real heart
for this he was.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
I got something coming for him, uh, and you know
what?
And he, and he delivered you.
Let me tell you what he did.
Well, and let me let me also,as paul harvey used to say, give
you the rest of the story right, because I remember, I remember
that campaign like it wasyesterday.
Because let me tell you whatLarry did.
Larry's like Hugh, hugh Hewitt,they don't like to lose.
And so Larry was fired up thatI kept blowing everybody away
with with our campaign success.
(13:23):
And Larry, he, he wrote to metoo.
He said Mike, what's yoursecret?
And in a rare moment ofcockiness and I regret it to
this day, I should have neverdone this I stupidly said Larry,
I'm just that good.
Well, that gave him a sense ofdetermination and purpose, and I
(13:45):
do begrudgingly need to reportthat that one campaign, larry
blew me out of the water.
Larry had Larry actually wonthat campaign.
As I remember that was a numberof years ago, paul, but he did,
he won and he was the happiestguy in the world.
And you know what, for one timeI didn't mind giving him the
win.
I'll take the loss because westill did great, we had a great
(14:07):
campaign.
But and it was my fault,because I should have never said
something as cocky and asarrogant as I'm just that good,
I didn't even mean it.
I was trying to be a smartaleck and boy, I paid the price
in the end.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Wow, that's amazing.
So we see what gives him theextra gear that he goes into
with these campaigns.
And also he's feeding others.
So let's keep that up.
I love it.
You know, it's amazing when wethink, mike, back to 2008,.
(14:40):
You brought this up aboutDenise and the home that was
built in honor of Denise.
It's that mom, patriciaFarquharson, that was a mother
in Jamaica that had a home builtin St Elizabeth in the honor of
your late wife, denise, andit's still an enduring place in
your heart.
It's all of us, I mean it's.
It's something that is reallystands out for all of us.
For what was you know what thatmeant to you?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Well, you are, you guys are family, and you know
that I married a single mom andso I witnessed what she went
through as a single mom.
Uh, as we were dating and wefell in love, uh, and it was.
It was a little daunting for mebecause I wound up, you know,
marrying into, uh, a family offive.
(15:22):
I mean she had four, fourlittle boys, and it was a time
when a lot of my friends saiddon't walk, run away from this,
you do not want to take over andmarry into a household.
And I, in very short order,adopted the boys.
We had a great life together.
(15:42):
I have so many warm memories andso many special still
connections and now I've gotfour grown guys that are doing
great all over the country.
I've got a, a, a 16 year oldgranddaughter, lily Denise, who
was born a few months afterDenise passed away, um, and, and
so I know I have a specialplace in my heart for for single
(16:07):
motherhood, and so to know thatthat house was built for a
single mom in in Jamaica, justjust, you're right, paul, it'll
stay with me for the rest of mylife, going back years later and
seeing the house, as you guyslet me do was one of the most
memorable experiences of my lifeand I know Denise is smiling
(16:28):
from heaven and really happythat there's a family that is
living in a house with a doorand windows and lock and
protected from the elements, inher honor and in her memory.
It just means more to me, guys,than you'll ever know.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Now, mike, I want to give a shout out to the
Gallagher's Army.
Yeah, the ones who went beyondthe call of duty, like those,
have many years, have affectedthose families that we talk
about in latin america, and thecaribbean is essentially
changing their lives, familieswhose lives have we also changed
in haiti, families like theantoine family of five the lermy
family husband and wife a youngcouple like the real louise.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
I'm listening here.
I called eric and eric said youalready had it fired up we're
getting.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
We're getting.
You guys are talking on the airfrom our our shot here.
For some reason I'm gettingsorry I was hearing.
Our dear friend robert is in,is in the office with with my
producer tracy oh, okay, sorryabout that, they were, they were
, they must have, they had athey had a switch pulled or
whatever.
So that happens sometimes livebroadcasting.
You know, go ahead.
I didn't want to interrupt you,danny.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Go ahead Again.
We want to mention theGallagher's Army that's affected
lives, Latin America and theCaribbean over the years, and
some of those families thatwe've changed in Haiti, like the
Antoine family of five, theLurmy family husband and wife, a
young couple like thePerrier-Louis family, and an
elderly couple like Mr and MrsCaroleau, who have spent all
(17:57):
their adult life in poverty.
What do you say about that,Mike?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, this is what you guys are.
This is what Food for the Poordoes.
You give hope to the hopeless.
You feed the hungry.
You clothe the naked.
Hope to the hopeless.
You feed the hungry, you clothethe naked.
Food for the Poor is anorganization that is one of the
most powerful presences in theworld.
I mean, when I first learnedabout Food for the Poor, we
(18:24):
began doing these campaigns andI got to travel over to Honduras
and to Jamaica and to Haiti andto see firsthand the work, the
fruits of your labor.
It's what it's all about, andthese are.
I fear sometimes that you know,we hear about the plight of
people in other parts of theworld, but you don't really
(18:45):
understand it, you don'trecognize it.
When I would see the depth ofdespair and just people
straggling to try to find alittle morsel of food to get
them through, two or three daysat a time, it was overwhelming,
and that's why I came back fromthose trips every time more
determined than ever to make adifference and to assist Food
(19:07):
for the Poor and to let ouraudience contribute to this
beautiful blessing that is yourorganization.
There's nothing like food forthe poor in the world and again,
you guys make it a joy for meto come to work and know that
there'll be another campaign,there's going to be another
opportunity for people to stepup.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Always thankful for you, mike.
Thank you and Mike, this hasbeen a true blessing actually to
walk down a memory lane and adeep dive and to your passion
and for families and includingyours and we, every every time
we end up episode.
Here we ended on a positivenote, but in this case we like
to have the last word rightbefore we're going to share this
(19:47):
video with you.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Well, you know, my Denise had a rule do a random
act of kindness a day, onerandom act of kindness, and I
can't think of a better way forpeople who are watching us right
now, who are learning aboutFood for the Poor, make a
difference.
You know, do something that isunexpected, and it may be
(20:10):
unexpected that you reach out toFood for the Poor and connect
with them.
I love living that.
Look, I've been blessed in life.
I make a good living.
God has been good to me and Idon't like many millions of
people.
I'm at a stage right now in mylife where I don't have to worry
about how to pay the bills, andso, every single day, I try to
find somebody in a, in a fastfood restaurant or a restaurant
(20:33):
that I can pay their mealwithout them knowing it.
If I'm in a drive through and,believe me, there's there's not
a fast food restaurant inFlorida that doesn't know me on
a first name basis, I, I, atleast once a day, I'll say, hey,
I want to pay the, the, thebill for the car behind me.
So do one random act ofkindness that is unexpected,
that is completely unanticipated, and again, to me that's the
(20:56):
most positive thing you can do,you'll feel good all day long.
You'll know you're making adifference in somebody's life
and, frankly, partnering withFood for the Poor is that random
act of kindness that can trulymake a difference in a deserving
person's life.
That, to me, is as positive asit gets.
So remember my Denise andremember that little message
about that mantra.
You know, make a difference insomebody's life and do one
(21:19):
random act of kindness a day.
It's food for the soul, it'llnourish you and it'll make you a
better person.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Now, when you talk about unexpected, we've got an
unexpected person that wanted tosay a few words to you, mike,
before we close the show.
Oh wow, okay, take a listen.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Mike, gallagher a few names here at Foo for the Poor
embody the heart and soul of ourmission.
Like yours, this year wecelebrate together with you
almost 20 years of service tovulnerable communities, whether
in Latin America, the Caribbean,ukraine, the borders of Turkey
and Syria, or right here at homein Florida.
Your compassion has led to morethan $2 million raised, helping
(22:05):
those truly in need.
Foo for the Poor has receivedtens of thousands of gifts and
donations from your audience who, like you, are looking forward
to what the next 15 years willbring together.
Truly thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Mike, wow, that's amazing.
How did you know that?
I just said a few minutes ago Iwondered how we could total it
up over the years.
Wow, that's amazing.
How did you know that?
I just said a?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
few minutes ago, I wondered how we could total it
up over the years.
Wow, here at Beyond the Plate,we go beyond, over and above.
Yes, you did.
You just set us up for our endof every show.
We always end on a positivenote Over 2 million yeah.
Watch this.
At the end of this, I'm goingto share with you a little bit
(22:52):
of that research Ready?
Okay, there we go.
So, mike, we always end everyepisode on a positive note.
You've been practicing, you.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That's good thank you good harmony good harmony, all
right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Yeah, we didn't get on broadway with mike.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
See, I'm done no, there's only room for one star
uh semi-san radio dj he saidthat to larry elder.
Now he just said it to us,challenged you, I know.
I know I should have learned mylesson.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
We end every episode on a positive note, but in this
particular time we're going toend on a positive act, and so we
have Tracy in the studio therewith you, mike, because we have
something that we wanted topresent to you, and if they're
hearing us now, could we pleasepresent Mike with a special
honor from Food for the Poor,wow.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I wonder why she was hovering.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Oh, it's beautiful.
This special honor is calledthe Christ the Beggar statue.
It is a very special meaning toFood for the Poor.
You can find the life-sizeversion of that statue in our
entryway to Food for the Poor'sheadquarters.
I've seen it.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I recognize it, Paul, from when I've been to your
offices.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Great.
The artist who designed thatstatue said I'm devoted to
creating artwork that glorifiesChrist, and the only way that
you can see the face of Christis when you prostrate yourself
and you have served Food for thePoor and the families.
That Food for the Poor servesin the same way.
And so today, this episode,this moment, we honor you, Mike
(24:30):
Gallagher.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
This means more to me than you'll ever know and this
will enjoy a very prominentplace in my home and in my heart
, and you guys at Food for thePoor are my heart and I will
continue to try to bless as manypeople as possible doing the
Lord's work and with thisbrilliant, brilliant, beautiful,
generous audience, and I willalways treasure this.
Thank you for this and thankyou for uh, for your partnership
(24:54):
and your love and yourstewardship.
I'm proud to be part of yourfamily and I'm glad you're part
of mine.
Thank you, mike, thank you guys, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Big fist bump Mike.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Can we get a fist fist bump before you go?
Speaker 3 (25:07):
don't make me, you guys.
It's not fair to make me cry,not make.
Not fair to make me cry, guys.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Thank you family let them roll.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I love this.
It's beautiful.
Thank you so much, guys.
I will absolutely treasure thisforever.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
I appreciate it have a great rest of your day yeah,
you too, thank you, thank you.
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