美国国家公共电台 NPR Robert Siegel Superfans Say Farewell To 'All Things Considered' Host

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Well, Robert...

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Yeah.

SHAPIRO: This is it...

SIEGEL: This is it.

SHAPIRO: ...Your last day as host of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED after 30 years.

SIEGEL: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: Listeners have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this milestone 1, and we wanted to take a moment to hear from some of them. So our co-hosts Audie Cornish and Kelly McEvers joined me to help.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Hey there, Robert. You know, the listeners we heard from - they come from all walks of life.

EURDORA EVANS: I'm a truck driver with my husband.

HELMAR MENZ: Speech therapist.

KELLY PURDUE: A hospice social worker.

JOHN B COOPER: I am 74 and retired 2.

CORNISH: And they say they'll miss a lot of things about you, Robert, one thing most of all. Here's Eurdora Evans of Harvey, La., and Kelly Purdue of Grand Rapids.

EVANS: He has a soothing 3 voice to me. Like, it's not soothing where it would put you to sleep, but it's just really calm.

PURDUE: And kind of all is right in the world.

MENZ: There was just always something welcoming about turning on the radio, you know, at 3 or 4 p.m. and having him be the first voice that I hear, you know, right after the news.

CORNISH: That's Helmar Menz of Portland, Ore.

MENZ: He is kind of a father figure. You know, I don't know him as a person, but just the range of introspection that listening to his voice allows, I do think that it was kind of - some kind of father figure over the radio, honestly, over the last 20 years. And that's probably part of why I'll feel especially affected 4 by his departure.

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Over and over, people told us how it's more than your voice; it is your presence that has meant so much. Kelly Purdue feels it. She has been listening over 25 years.

PURDUE: Being a hospice social worker, I have hard days that are sad and difficult. But as I drive in my car, going about my daily tasks, visiting with patients and families who are dying, Robert was my companion. He made my day better.

CORNISH: And it's not just adults. Generations of backseat NPR listeners grew up hearing your voice, two of them Zaden and Kaia Eby-Holmes from Fishers, Ind. They're brother and sister, 16 and 15 years old.

ZADEN EBY-HOLMES: When my mom would just drive us places she'd just have NPR on. And I'd hear the name Robert Siegel, and I thought the last name was great, you know, 'cause, like, we thought he was a bird.

KAIA EBY-HOLMES: (Laughter).

EBY-HOLMES: And we'd hear, hi, I'm Robert Siegel, and you're listening to NPR, and we'd just freak out. Take us somewhere. Fly us away.

KAIA: I was just really bummed 5 out that, like, no one, like, not even, like, my kids are going to be able to hear him in a whole bunch of years, to feel the joy of his voice and laugh at his name and everything.

(SOUNDBITE OF GLENN MILLER'S "IN THE MOOD")

SHAPIRO: People trapped in cars appreciate you, Robert.

GREG GUNGOR ATMACA: My name is Greg Gungor Atmaca. I am listening Robert over 15 years.

SHAPIRO: That's the Turkish Lyft driver who picked you up this summer during a reporting trip in Boston. He didn't recognize you at first, but once you started talking, he knew exactly who you were.

ATMACA: He was great that he asked me questions. And we exchanged opinions. It was perfect. And I enjoyed it so much. And I will never forget that the rest of my life.

(SOUNDBITE OF RED GARLAND'S "ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE")

PURDUE: Oh, Robert, I'd like to say thank you.

EVANS: Robert, thank you so much.

KAIA: Thank you.

EBY-HOLMES: Thank you so much for making me and my sister happy when we were in the back seat of a car.

SHAPIRO: Robert, thank you from your co-hosts.

MCEVERS: Thank you, Robert.

CORNISH: Thank you, Robert. And we want to end on this - a wish from John B. Cooper of Colorado. He's listened to you since you were Bob Siegel 40 years ago.

COOPER: When that mic goes dead, I will hope that he moves on to a great adventure and a wonderful life because he has enriched 6 my life. And I've been so proud to be able to be a listener over all these years.

(SOUNDBITE OF RED GARLAND'S "ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE")

SIEGEL: Well, I'm bowled over and speechless, Ari.

SHAPIRO: Hopefully not so speechless that you can't round out the segment 7 right now.

SIEGEL: I can say it. This is NPR News.