Cover Story
After more than three decades on the airwaves, the iconic “The Rick and Bubba Show” is making way for new ventures and possibilities for host Rick Burgess. The show, which debuted in January 1994, became a mainstay of Southern radio entertainment and made Burgess and his partner Bill “Bubba” Bussey household names and favorite local celebrities.
As he approached his 60th birthday, however, Burgess felt like “The Rick and Bubba Show” was complete. “We’ve seen so many incredible things in 31 years,” Burgess said. ‘We’ve experienced success together and Bubba’s a big part of that. As much as I loved it, though, I started to sense that we had more memories than future plans. This new venture feeds our men’s ministry, my wife Sherri’s ministry, our Bible studies, and so forth. I really want to cast one vision.”
The Rick Burgess Show. Debuting on January 6, 2025, “The Rick Burgess Show” will go back to the roots of comedy–but a style of comedy unique to Rick and his show partners (which include the familiar team members of Calvin “Speedy” Wilburn, Greg Burgess, and Chris Adler). “I want to take the show back to the comedy you’d expect from us. It’s not lewd, it’s not blue, but it’s not prudish either,” Burgess said. “It has a clever edge, but not an offensive kind of edge.” The main focus of the show, he said, is lifestyle, comedy, and some faith elements. There will be less politics and sports–two topics that became more important in recent years on “The Rick and Bubba Show.” Burgess stressed that the faith element will remain an important part of the new show, but that he and his team want to earn the right to talk about their faith with listeners. He compares that goal to the way he approaches attendees at his men’s conferences. He often speaks to men’s groups and has his own ministry to men; in approaching those men, he knows that many attend his events because of his celebrity status. “At conferences, the first thing I do is tell funny stories,” he said. “A lot of men have come into a church or an arena, and we’ve earned the right to develop a relationship with them through entertainment. I tell stories, then they say ‘Yeah, this is the guy I know.’ We want the new show to be the same way.” He laughs that he doesn’t want listeners to think, “Oh no. Rick’s about to give us a five-hour Bible study.”
“We’re Christians who do radio, and we’re on secular stations and platforms,” he said. “We understand where we are and who we’re talking to.” The show will air daily from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT. on approximately 60 stations in 18 states including Birmingham radio station WZZK, streaming apps, YouTube, and at rickburgessshow.com. According to Burgess, his journey to radio was something built into his character from a young age; he knows that it’s something God placed on him as a calling. His mother loved to tell about how he would put a wiffle ball bat into the cushion of a chair to create a makeshift microphone, then pair it with a recorder. “I would do a radio show right there,” he said. “As long as I’ve been conscious of what it was, I’ve had this desire to be in radio. I’m not sure where that pull came from.” Burgess does know, however, the moment when he realized that his passion for radio could be a witness to his faith. “In 1996, when I was redeemed, it became clear why this was put into my life,” he said. “It was to glorify Him.”
We had the pleasure of watching the first Rick Burgess show live from the studio and spoke with Rick afterwards about the big first day. Watch the video below to learn more.
Although Burgess was raised in a Christian family, he said that he was a “cultural” Christian even at the time that the original radio show began. He said that Jesus was his Savior, but not his Lord. When he was convicted about the nature of his relationship with God, it changed everything. “I wasn’t transformed by my faith, and I didn’t submit to the authority of Jesus. I was raised in the cultural side of Christianity, so when I was old enough not to go, I didn’t go to church,” he said. “But then I was convicted with the question of ‘Why don’t I have a desire to go to church?’” He soon learned that God would only give him responsibility when he was ready for it. Once Burgess began walking in a closer spiritual relationship, the things of God became important, and he began building a ministry.
Today, that ministry is large and varied. Burgess houses his entertainment ministry under the BIG Vox umbrella (named after the Latin word for “voice” and because Burgess laughs, he has a big, loud voice); he and his wife have Burgess Ministries (which include wife Sherri’s books, marriage conferences, women’s and men conferences, devotionals, curriculum, and anything ministry-related); they also run the 501C3 Bronner Burgess Memorial Fund where they give to ministries around the world in the name of their late son.
A primary focus for Burgess is his work with men, which takes place through conferences, Bible studies and curriculum, and a new book coming out in May titled Men Don’t Run in the Rain. Burgess started The Man Church in 2020, with the intent of providing discipleship resources to men and their leaders. Through conferences and small group curriculum and devotionals, The Man Church strives to equip men with what they need to succeed in their Christian walk. “We realized that we had a lot of resources for men, but that what was missing was discipleship,” Burgess said. “We challenge men, but we don’t equip them. If you don’t equip men, you build frustration because they feel like you’re telling them what to do, but not how to do it.” To equip men, Burgess’ ministries provide practical advice and help. Its five 40-week curriculum for small groups, for example, has helped men in more than 2,000 churches. The Man Church conferences don’t offer just fellowship and worship–they challenge and equip participants. Men Don’t Run in the Rain will be exclusively available at the Man Church conferences in January and will then be sold to the general public with book signings, podcast appearances, and other events in May. The book, Burgess said, was inspired by his father who passed away just over a year ago. “My father was a unique individual, and I never met anyone quite like him,” he said. “It was great to have a wonderful dad, but I know not everyone can say that.” The book tells stories about his father with a touch of humor, while also including Biblical applications that his father taught him. “I’ve never written anything like this. With books I’ve written before, I never thought that they sounded like me,” Burgess said. “But this one has my voice. It’s raw and who I really am.” He and Sherri also serve through their local church– Valleydale Church in Birmingham– where he serves as a deacon, leads the men’s ministry and together they teach a life group with another couple.
While his life is busy, Burgess knows that this is the perfect season of his life for the activities and ministries. His children are grown, his marriage is a priority, and there’s more time and resources to serve together in ministry. “We’re empty nesters, and we can now do different things,” he said. “A lot of research says that the years from 60 to 70 can be the most impactful of a man’s life. I feel like I have more energy now at 60 than I did at 40. I’m prepared for this next decade.” As Burgess looks at his past and into the future, he says that his vision is illustrative of how Christians should see their lives. “The way I feel about the show and my life is that if your memories are more important than your vision, then you may need to change how you look at things,” he said. “We know the end, and we win. We should be the most joyful of all people.”
-Cheryl Wray
