And Now You Know… the Rest of the Story

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“Hello, Americans. I’m Paul Harvey… Stand by for news.”

If you grew up with a radio anywhere in earshot from the 1950s through the early 2000s, chances are you’ve heard that familiar, melodic cadence. Paul Harvey’s voice wasn’t just a part of American broadcasting—it was American broadcasting. Like the tick of an old kitchen clock, his short-form radio features delivered history, mystery, and moral insight in under five minutes. But what truly made his stories unforgettable were the endings—those last few lines that turned everything on its head.

“And now you know… the rest of the story.”

That catchphrase was the kicker. The hook. The twist. The reason we all kept listening, leaned in, smiled, gasped, or even teared up. And for us writers, it holds a masterclass in storytelling structure, suspense, and emotional payoff.

Who Was Paul Harvey?

Paul Harvey Aurandt was born in 1918 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After losing his policeman father to a tragic shooting when Paul was only three, Harvey grew up in a world shaped by grit, survival, and the power of words. He started in radio as a teenager and worked his way up through the golden age of broadcasting.

By the 1950s, he was a national presence. With his distinct pauses, curious phrasing, and Midwestern moral clarity, Harvey captivated millions of listeners across decades. He delivered daily news commentary, but it was his mid-day feature—“The Rest of the Story”—that elevated him from commentator to storyteller.

These were not breaking news segments. They were human stories—true stories—told with elegance, economy, and a surprising punchline.

The Structure of a Paul Harvey Story

Every episode of The Rest of the Story followed a similar template:

  1. Set the Scene – Often vague at first. He introduces a person, place, or problem, but not the full identity.
  2. Build the Curiosity – Facts are layered. Oddities emerge. You’re engaged but unsure where it’s going.
  3. Reveal the Surprise – The identity or twist is saved for the final sentence. A famous person in disguise. A historical icon before they were known. A legendary outcome from humble beginnings.
  4. Moral Undercurrent – Often subtle, but present. There’s usually a sense of justice, fate, irony, or redemption.

This structure was no accident. Harvey understood how people listen, and more importantly, why people listen. He didn’t just tell you what happened. He withheld the obvious until it would land with maximum impact.

Why It Worked So Well

Harvey’s genius was in the setup. He trusted the intelligence of his audience. He guided us with breadcrumbs, letting us build assumptions—only to gleefully knock them over at the end.

He leveraged:

  • Suspense through omission
  • Familiarity cloaked in unfamiliarity
  • Emotional resonance through the unexpected
  • A moral twist embedded in fact

He also knew how to perform a story—his pacing, tone, and silences were part of the storytelling. A well-timed pause said more than a paragraph ever could.

Greatest Hits from “The Rest of the Story”

Here are a few classic Paul Harvey closers. (Spoilers ahead!)

  • A young boy with a stutter who found his voice onstage—James Earl Jones.
  • A failed artist who became the world’s most famous cartoonist—Walt Disney.
  • The man who couldn’t afford college, so he audited classes—William Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard.
  • The boy kicked out of school for poor learning—Thomas Edison.

Each story was true. Each one held a lesson. And each left the listener with a sense of awe: Wait… really? That was who?

Now think of the emotional arc in those tales—curiosity, empathy, admiration. That’s what made Harvey unforgettable.

What Writers Can Learn From Paul Harvey

If you’re writing novels, short stories, true crime, memoirs, or blog posts, the Paul Harvey method has gold to offer. Here’s how to apply it:

  1. Start with the Setup, Not the Star

Instead of opening with the known, open with the unknown. Create a character or situation that invites questions. Let the reader lean in, not back.

  1. Use Withholding as a Tool

You don’t have to reveal everything up front. Create tension by what you don’t say. Let the reader work a little. We love to fill in blanks.

  1. Save the Reveal

That final “aha” moment—that’s your money shot. Whether it’s in the climax of your thriller or the final line of your blog post, hold back until it counts.

  1. Layer with Moral Resonance

Harvey’s stories were often about perseverance, redemption, or ironic justice. That’s the stuff readers remember. Don’t preach. Just infuse meaning.

  1. Let Style Be the Vehicle

Paul Harvey’s voice was unmistakable—rhythmic, quirky, personal. As writers, we all have a voice. Don’t sand it down. Sharpen it.

And Finally… the Rest of This Story

There’s something timeless about what Paul Harvey gave us. He didn’t just relay facts—he made us feel them. In a world that’s more crowded, distracted, and cynical than ever, the ability to pause a reader and make them say, “Wow… I didn’t see that coming”—that’s real storytelling.

So what happened to The Rest of the Story after Paul Harvey passed in 2009?

Here’s the kicker: The show continued briefly with his son, Paul Harvey Jr., but never quite recaptured the magic. Why?

Because Paul Harvey wasn’t just a format. He was the story.

And now you know… the rest of the story.

Kill Zoners – Who around here is young enough to remember Paul Harvey? If you do, what was your favorite episode? Mine was the story of the recycled timbers in a New England barn being traced as originating from the scrapped ship, Mayflower.

26 thoughts on “And Now You Know… the Rest of the Story”

  1. Great post. As soon as I even read “the rest of the story” I hear Paul Harvey’s distinctive voice in my head. Funny how people can make such a strong impression on you that way. It’s been so long I don’t remember a particular story, but I never heard him relate a disappointing one.

    And people can definitely learn from Paul Harvey–whether it’s an author doing a reading from one of their stories or giving a presentation, he’s a go-to role model for being engaging.

    • Thanks, Brenda. I think whenever the “voice” subject comes up in writer circles, Paul Harvey should be the go-to as to how it’s done right.

  2. Excellent overview, Gary. Paul Harvey did for radio what Lester Dent did for pulp and Erle Stanley Gardner for TV. Fantastic pattern that still resonates today. Thank you!

  3. I’m old enough to remember being captivated by Paul Harvey’s stories. And I miss his style and his grace. I think my favorite one was about a farmer. “Thank a farmer,” or something like that.

  4. I may not remember a specific episode, but I have distinct memories of sitting at the table at lunch time in the summer, my dad in his white pants and shirt stained with whatever house paint he was using that day frowning like he always did. We were eating bologna on white bread sandwiches (which I hated) and listening to Paul Harvey. It was breathlessly hot in Kansas and we had no AC in those days. The windows were open. No one spoke because Dad was eating and listening to Paul Harvey. As a future writer, I wonder how much that girl learned about storytelling from Paul Harvey’s “and that’s the rest of the story.”

  5. I haven’t been called young in quite a bit, but I remember Paul Harvey. He was a master storyteller.

    My favorite is about a grocery store bagger. The bagger plays some arena football on the side. He meets and starts to date an Army nurse with a small child. She motivates him. She may push him a little bit from the Iowa grocery store. The bagger becomes the quarterback on an NFL practice squad.

    Then Trent Green had a season ending injury during a pre-season game. The bagger and part time quarterback was now an NFL starter with one of the worst teams in the NFL, the St. Louis Rams. Kurt Warner led the “Greatest Show on Turf” and the St. Louis Rams to the Superbowl.

    Brenda Warner is a church going woman. She always has been. She lives her faith. When she was the wife of a part time quarterback she gave her church 10%. The Warners gave the church 10% as a multi million dollar NFL star.

  7. I honestly miss Paul Harvey: his iconic voice, his masterful delivery, his subtle yet powerful way of guiding the audience.while, as you said, trusting their intelligence to follow along.

    I feel we’ve lost that in today’s audiences. Not everyone, and not just the newest generation, but many. That’s not meant to be ageist. Just that modern conveniences have tricked modern brains into instant-gratification syndrome. It’s so much harder to keep an audience truly engaged, especially if one is not as masterful as Harvey!

    • Good morning, Cyn. Maybe I don’t get around much but I can’t think of anyone who currently equals Paul Harvey at handling an audience.

  8. While I can’t recall a specific story, I remember Paul Harvey well, the way he spun a story and that voice of his as he took as on a narrative journey. It was a different time for sure.

  9. Wow, Garry, what an excellent lesson in storytelling! I remember Paul Harvey well.

    Thanks for your excellent summation of the points that made up his style and in fact are the basis for all good storytelling.

    Another master storyteller, Charles Dickens said, “Make them [readers] laugh, make them cry, make them wait.”

  10. Love this, Garry…thank you for the memories.

    Paul Harvey was part of the fabric of my growing-up years. The house or car must be silent (quite a feat with 4 rambunctious, noisy kiddos) when his voice was on the radio. I can’t remember one particular story, but I do remember the emotional build-up and sometimes tension in his presentations. Breathlessness, then the aha! moment, then the satisfaction of hearing those immortal words, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

    And isn’t that what we want our readers to experience? Let the reader lean in, not back. 🙂 Yes, indeed!

    Have a great day.

  11. Excellent overview of Paul Harvey’s great story-telling talent. I remember listening to some of the episodes, and I was always mesmerized to learn “the rest of the story.”

    I remember one he told about a baby born in 1915. The child weighed more than 13 pounds at birth, but was blue and not breathing. The doctor thought he was stillborn and laid him on the counter while he attended to the child’s mother. Unwilling to accept the verdict that the baby was dead, his grandmother ran cold water over him and that brought him to life. The forceps delivery had unfortunately caused scarring on his left cheek and even perforated one eardrum. A difficult start in life.

    Who was that unfortunate child? Frank Sinatra. (I had to review the facts on Wikipedia to see if I remembered them correctly. Paul Harvey’s stories were so memorable that I got it right!)

  13. I remember Paul Harvey’s distinctive voice, Garry. I grew up listening to him on KMOX, “The Voice of St. Louis.”
    Good blog.

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