Larry Elder
A provocative voice in American talk radio, known for his staunch libertarian and conservative views delivered with a lawyer's precision from Los Angeles.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American talk radio host and attorney·Birthday: April 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Larry Elder built a formidable platform as the 'Sage from South Central,' a title reflecting his upbringing and his challenge to conventional political narratives. After a decade practicing law, he stepped behind a microphone at KABC in Los Angeles in 1994, bringing a combative, fact-driven style to talk radio. His show, syndicated nationally, became a cornerstone for conservative thought on the West Coast, arguing for limited government, personal responsibility, and free-market principles. Elder’s perspective, shaped by his father's hard work and his own skepticism of victimhood, often put him at odds with liberal orthodoxy, particularly on issues of race and welfare. His foray into politics, including a 2021 recall election run for California governor, amplified his role as a political agitator. While polarizing, his career demonstrates the enduring power of talk radio to shape political discourse and provide a counterpoint to mainstream media.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Larry was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Larry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Larry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hosted the nationally syndicated 'The Larry Elder Show' for over two decades, building a major platform on talk radio.
- Authored several books, including 'The Ten Things You Can’t Say in America,' which became a New York Times bestseller.
- Was a leading candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, finishing second in the replacement vote.
Did You Know?
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
He is a licensed private pilot.
Early in his career, he wrote and produced for a pornographic film under a pseudonym to make money, a fact he has openly discussed.
His radio show was once dropped by a station after he used a sound clip from the movie 'Network' containing profanity.
““The thing about poverty is that it’s not caused by a lack of money. It’s caused by a lack of values.””
