Glenn Beck: Seattle Is Dying

Glenn Beck, born Glenn Lee Beck on February 10, 1964, in Everett, grew up primarily in Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle. He was raised Catholic, and his father owned a bakery. His early life was marked by family tragedies: his mother struggled with alcoholism and depression, and when Beck was 13, she died by drowning (which Beck has described as suicide). Around the same time, other family members faced severe issues, including suicides and a heart attack.

Beck’s connection to the Seattle region runs deep in his formative years and early career. He spent his childhood and teens in the area (Mount Vernon, Bellingham, and nearby spots like Puyallup). At age 13, shortly after his mother’s death, he won a contest for an hour of airtime on a local radio station in his hometown, sparking his interest in broadcasting. By age 15, he landed his first real radio job in the Seattle market. He worked at stations including one in Puyallup and then at Seattle’s KUBE-FM (a Top 40 station), where a parent sometimes had to drive him to shifts because he was so young. He was known as a talented young DJ in the competitive Seattle radio scene, and industry veterans reportedly remarked on his potential (“when he’s 25, what is he going to be like?”). Beck has reflected on this period as one where early praise fueled his arrogance and ambition, though it coincided with personal struggles.

He graduated from Sehome High School in Bellingham in 1982 and soon left the area for other radio opportunities, but the Seattle/Pacific Northwest roots remained part of his story. In later years, he has returned for events, such as receiving the key to Mount Vernon (his “hometown”) in 2009 amid protests and fan support, and speaking at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) in Seattle.

KIRO NewsRadio’s John Curley talks with Eric Johnson about the documentary, Seattle Is Dying – and the issues surrounding that.
(((WATCH HERE)))

Jason Remington

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