Listeners will find themselves captivated by Pat Boone’s reflections on historic and modern-day challenges, from the Middle East conflict to the state of unity among Americans. Pat shares his thoughts on the recent tragedies in Israel and emphasizes the importance of faith during turbulent times. As he reminds us of the necessity of turning towards God and seeking peace, the episode highlights his enduring hope for a world restored by love and unity. Pat’s journey through music and philanthropy sets an example of how one man’s vision can drive meaningful change across the globe, rekindling hope in a divided
I get some real joyful experiences as a decades-long Big Mouth talk show host. I get to meet people that I admire, that I’ve listened to, that I’ve appreciated over the years. And the Pat Boone story is one that is pretty remarkable because this legendary singer, songwriter, author, actor. He’s in a chapter of his life right now where he’s doing so much good for others. In fact, this is a commitment that he and his precious wife have had, and his late wife, Shirley. They were committed to sharing their many blessings with others. And if you can believe this, at 91 years young, the great Pat Boone has a hit. The hit And he has had many hits over the years. I mean, this is a guy who was right up there with Elvis. He sold almost 50 million records. And I was going to start with one of his… Well, I want to start with this new hit because this hit is making a huge difference in the lives of many, many people. I want you to hear this hit that he now has won… for Tanzania, raising money to build wells for villages in Tanzania. And they took Pat’s song, One, and they created a version of it with legends like Vince Gill, Larry Gatlin, Alabama, and more. I want you to check out the new single, One, Voices for Tanzania.
SPEAKER 02 :
One. One. One. One. Like no other human being, I am one. And in my life there is a meaning, there is worth, there is a purpose. Like no other on this planet.
SPEAKER 03 :
So beautiful. So taking one and doing it to focus on saving lives. And what a joy it is to welcome back the legendary Pat Boone to the Mike Gallagher Show. Pat, I see you on the screen. You look great. You sound great. Great voice. How have you been, sir?
SPEAKER 01 :
Doing great. I’m glad to have the Pat and Mike show again. Or the Mike and Pat. No, no. Pat and Mike. Pat and Mike. You get top billing. Yeah, and that song has exploded, thank God. And that’s Lee Greenwood you’re hearing singing. Yep. And gosh, Vince Gill and the Gatlin Brothers. Oh man, I look at the list of Billy Dean, Deborah Allen, Wendy Moten, Alabama, and all of them singing. Wow. And I use the number one four ways, one about the individual. And I’m thinking of that child who has a life expectancy of five years in Tanzania because he drinks poison water. But has worth. He is like no other on the planet. He is individual and unique. Secondly, the use of the one is one we are one when good people come together and they’re in a unity, then we can do great things. Then three, one, our nation is supposed to be one nation under God, which we are no longer apt in saying because we’re divided, hopelessly divided right now. And then one, our God is one. So I use the number one four ways. And the ministry called World Serve in Springfield, Missouri, was already involved for several years now in creating freshwater wells. And they asked if they could use my song, like a We of the World, and I call it We of the Well, in the US of it. And so that’s what we’ve done. And boy, it’s millions of responses now on the Internet. And it’s, of course, the biggest record I’ve ever had. I’ve had major hit records in the past. But this is, I think, going to be the biggest and certainly the most important of my life.
SPEAKER 03 :
You think this will be bigger than April Love?
SPEAKER 01 :
I hope so, really. I mean, as big as April Love was, and that was my favorite song ever to record and written for me for my second movie. But yeah, I think that this song, it is a lifesaver, literally. And if people respond, and I’m urging that parents, mamas, bring their children to see the video and then go to the website, which is one for Tanzania, and a button pops up. I call it the giving button, the red button. And then if it’s their kids, give coins. I mean, you know, whatever. whatever they want the child to give, that their child can help save the life of other children their age. And that’s why I think that it’s got such a life-giving and life-saving capability if we’ll use it for what it is.
SPEAKER 03 :
Sure. Onefortanzania.org is the site. And I hope everybody watching and listening today will go to onefortanzania.org because what a beautiful, beautiful mission. And look, Pat, I think about you and your Shirley. becoming committed to doing good in the world. You two had such a journey together. And look, just like my late wife, I’m going to see my Denise again someday. You’re going to see Shirley again and be with her again. And we’ll be together in heaven. And I think often about what it what it must have been like for you to say, look, I’ve had this great career. I’ve made movies and all these records and I’ve got all this money that I’ve been very successful. Now, Shirley and I want to do good in the world. And that was there a moment in your life when you said, aha, this is this is what I can do.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes, but it goes back farther than you think. Some 30 years ago, we created, because of the Cambodian crisis, when Pol Pot, the dictator, had created a concentration camp up against the Thai border. And on our news programs, and I’m sure you remember, All the time, parents, mamas holding their starving babies with distended bellies from starvation, not food, in their arms. And Shirley said, we’ve got to do something. I said, honey, this is an international problem. What do you think we can do about it? Well, we’ve got to do something. And so we called a Thanksgiving party. at our home, and we invited people like Oral Roberts and Rex Humbart and Billy Graham, President Carter, and to send representatives, and we had what we called a Cambodian Thanksgiving dinner. It was at Thanksgiving time in our home. And we served what we call a Thanksgiving dinner in Cambodia. It was just dry, not dry, but chicken, just chicken, a piece of chicken on a plate with rice, paper plate and water to drink. And it would have been a Thanksgiving feast in Cambodia then. And we then watched television and decided prayerfully, what could we do? And we created what became Mercy Corps. C-O-R-P-S, and that was so many years ago, and it is right now, today, still operating in 40 nations, and it is registered along with the top five humanitarian organizations ever. People don’t even know that that started in Shirley’s and my home, praying and crying about what was going on in Cambodia. And now I… And she, I still include her, she’s in heaven and watching, and I talk to her every day. I don’t hear her voice in return, but I’m communicating with her. And we’re, through our church, Church on the Way in Van Nuys, we are supporting ministries now in Cambodia still to this day. Well, that was one thing. But then the Easter Seals, when I was the chairman of Easter Seals, helping handicapable is a phrase I came up with, handicapable kids. And we raised, what was it, $600 million while I was the co-host or the host of the show. I remember. Now, we can’t do the telethons anymore because TV stations won’t give up any of their time. for humanitarian things like that because they’re too interested in what they can make during that time period. So you don’t see telethons much anymore at all. Anyway, those are things that have been part of my life along the way. A while, I was recording in the middle of all that in 98, 99, my heavy metal album. And I did all… Big band swing versions, big orchestra band versions of heavy metal classics, including, of course, Crazy Train. And that’s when Ozzy Osbourne moved in next door to me right at that point. Right. And I had not met him at all.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, let’s talk about that for just a moment, because I’m so glad you mentioned Ozzy, because he passed away this week, and a lot of people don’t know the history of you and Ozzy. A lot of people have learned that, look, this Prince of Darkness thing was kind of a shtick for him. He was actually a very kind man, and I believe a Christian and a believer, and was your next-door neighbor, Pat.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yep, he moved in next door after I had recorded his song already in my heavy metal album. And I had recorded Crazy Train, which I already saw as valid social commentary. Because it was saying, hey, crazy, that’s how it goes. Millions of people nursing their woes. And I thought, kids today are plagued with… falsehood, with hypocrisy, with all kinds of things that they are told, and then they turn out they’re not true. And so they’re going off the rails on a crazy train because of uncertainty, because of falsehood, because of anger. And I called right away. When Ozzie, I met him, he came shuffling down the sidewalk from the next door to get in an Escalade. And and that’s when I met him through the the grate of my my my opening it to my driveway. Oh, sure. And here he comes. And I said, hi, Ozzie, Pat Boone. Oh, hi, Pat. He says, on my way to a meeting, he says, when I come home, we get to have some tea, OK? And, of course, we did, and we became friends, and I got to know Sharon and the kids. And I tell you, I wish we didn’t call Ozzy now Prince of Darkness. I found him to be a Prince of Kindness because he was so kind. It was a love story, him and Sharon, and with the kids. And then when they… When they did their show, the Osbournes, Sharon liked my version of his song, Crazy Train, so much that she used my version as the opening theme song of their show. That’s right. Crazy, that’s how it goes. That’s right, I remember. And I was doing the theme song to his show, My Next Door Neighbor, and I found him to be such a gentle soul. And in his house, yes, they were all kind of some kind of satanic things, because that was part of his image. But then that clashed with the cross and other things, because that was some of his spiritual belief. And he was a mixture. He was an actor. And this was his act, just like my friend Alice Cooper, son of a minister himself. And both of them created these bizarre images and songs to go with them. And they became very, very popular, but it Their public image was a total clash with their personal lives. That’s right. And they made a go of it. I mean, gosh, he became an icon. But I think it misrepresents him as a person.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we’re also talking to icon Pat Boone, who’s got so many exciting things going on in his world right now that we wanted to share with you. And again, if you want to get and learn all about Voices for Tanzania, go to onefortanzania.org. Pat, I want to talk a little bit about the… Because I get so excited to catch up with you, and there’s so many good things going on in the country and in the world, but there’s also a lot of darkness. You know, the last time you and I visited together, we talked about your role. You’ve been an ambassador for tourism for Israel for many years, and you know Bibi Netanyahu. You know Mike Huckabee. It’s so fascinating. frustrating and actually devastating to witness the loss of life, the horrific things. I went to Israel a few weeks after October 7th, and I interviewed survivors of the Hamas massacre. Oh, yeah, it was really riveting. I spoke to one young college student, Pat, a young woman. I’ll never forget. She hid in a bush along with her boyfriend for hours and hours. All of their friends were slaughtered by Hamas that horrific day, October 7th. And a lot of young people today, they just don’t seem to recognize the evil of terrorism, the evil of Hamas. They blame Israel. Can you give me your sort of thoughts on this terrible, terrible conflict, this awful war where so many lives have been lost, including Palestinians?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I can, and I hope it won’t seem too pedantic or too long, but we have to go back to the beginning. Where did Israel come from? Well, they are God’s chosen people. When God brought them out of bondage in Egypt across the desert to this land of Canaan, it was called at the time, and it was populated, and there were tribes of Philistines, which we now call Palestinians, but it was the Philistines and other pagan tribes who populated that land, and God told Abraham, that I’m giving you that land and your people forever. Now, when he brought the people of Israel, over 2 million people, out of bondage, and he brought them in, and he then told the 12 tribes through Joshua, here’s the part for the tribe of Judah, part Simeon, part all the other tribes, the 12 tribes. The tribe of Judah was given a place, and it’s in the Bible, called Gaza. And Rapha, those names are right in Deuteronomy and in the Numbers and the Bible. God gave those lands forever to the people of Israel, and they were to run out. The immigrants, I mean, not the immigrants, the people that lived there already who were so pagan that God had given up on them. He couldn’t. Correct them. They were not interested in him at all. So they just they had to be driven out of that land and it was given to Israel. So that’s a 4000 year old tenant that and they are the tenants of that land. And Netanyahu knows that it was given to them and not to never to be populated by anybody but Jews. But there could be another whole Palestinian nation right next door, as long as they didn’t want the same plot of land and wanted to drive them into the sea. So when this thing happened and the terrible massacre occurred, and then Israel, of course, you know, the Bible says, turn the other cheek. But he didn’t say… And don’t do anything when they start killing your children. You can strike back and defend yourself. And so that’s what they’ve been doing. Now, of course, Hamas was a government set up by the Palestinians who took over that land. Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, made a terrible mistake in giving authority over that land to the Palestinians who inhabited it by over a million people. And he gave them authority over that land, didn’t give them the land, but the authority to govern it. And then they chose. They chose Hamas to govern them, which became the brutal killers that did that massacre and then continued to bombard and were determined to drive Israel into the sea. Well, what are people that are inhabiting the land God gave them supposed to do, just lie down? No. They have proven to be very, very powerful. strong opponents to those who wanted to kill them. And as this struggle goes on, we keep wanting Israel to quit bombing the rubble that was Gaza. But there’s still shots being fired by Hamas into Israel. And there are still hostages, Pat. And hostages, yes, that have not been released. And so many that even if we get them back, it’ll be just their bodies, perhaps. Now, I have come up with what I think is the easy solution. And I’ve tried to communicate this to my friend, Bibby. I mean, I don’t call him that. He’s Prime Minister Netanyahu. But he calls me Speedy every time we’re together because he loved my record of Speedy Gonzalez. So every time we’re together, he says, hello, Speedy. Come on in. And so I’ve tried to get this to him. Look, just create a new Gaza. The old Gaza doesn’t exist. That is rubble. It’s destroyed. It’s 300 feet down in tunnels. It’s ruined. Create a new Gaza, but go down on the Sea of Aqaba, about 100 miles or less, down on the Sea of Aqaba. Build a brand new Gaza. Modern everything, and Israel and America and even the Middle Eastern countries would all contribute to the building of a new Gaza, but not on that same contested piece of property that God gave to the tribe of Judah, and it’s never going to be taken from them. So just build a new Gaza. It has to be built somewhere, but don’t build it on the rubble that exists now. Build a brand new shining city-state. Just across the Sinai Peninsula, it’s property that is ready to be populated, and it could be a border on that Sea of Aqaba instead of the Red Sea. And, I mean, that’s an easy solution. If you’re going to build a new Gaza, it has to be built somewhere. Don’t build it on that same contested piece of land. Go over on the— So anyway, I’ve been trying to communicate that maybe they’ll come up to that idea themselves. I think it’s God’s plan to rebuild a whole city-state. It can be as big and rich and modern as anything in the world, but just don’t build it on that contested piece of land that is never going to belong to anybody but the tribe of Judah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Sure. Well, I’m thinking, too, about you talk about God’s will. I think about you sitting down and breaking bread with President Jimmy Carter and others in an effort to make a difference in the world. I don’t think it’s a secret that you’re not exactly a liberal Democrat. So for you to sit down with President Carter in an effort to advance God’s work, to do good in the world, I almost worry and fear that those times are gone. You talked about how divided we are, Pat, and we are. I mean, you know, I go through it every day, hours I spend in front of a microphone and a camera talking to Americans who are frustrated, who are anxious. This week, of course, this huge revelation of what the Obama administration likely did to try to hurt the Trump administration. There’s just a lot of tension in the air, the Epstein controversy. There’s so much that Americans are trying to digest. Do you feel that there’s any chance for us getting back to a sense of unity and togetherness in terms of countries and Americans? Or are those days long gone, Pat?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I do, of course, believe there’s a chance. But it depends on us. I wrote a book, my last book. I’ve written other books, but my last book is called If. And I found it to be the most important word in the Bible. That’s why I call the book If. Because every promise of God, every blessing of God comes with that word If. 2 Chronicles 7, 14, when they built Solomon’s temple. And that’s when he said, If my people… who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. I will hear from heaven, I’ll forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. It was if, but John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Wait a minute. Shall not perish. That’s the if. That’s right. If they will believe and commit their lives. So it depends on us, Mike. It depends on us who believe the Bible. But God is still on his throne. God still rules. His word will never be changed. His will will never be changed. That’s right. But it depends on us. Now, if we’ll silence these protests on college campuses, anti-Semitism, which is in direct conflict with God’s will on this earth, and for the people of Israel, stop condemning them, stop any anti-Semitism. What have they done, the Jews? What have they done to deserve all this persecution? It’s because God chose them, and so did the devil. So there’s a real Satan. That’s right. And when God chose Adam and Eve, guess who entered the picture? Satan. I know. Satan came right in. To undo that. He’s never quit, but we cannot quit if we will look at the Master’s Guide. That’s right. The Master Plan. And get back in tune with that. There can be a peaceful Israel. There can be a brand new Palestinian state in harmony with Israel. We can settle Gaza. We can settle Ukraine. All these things, if we get back in step with God’s plan. If, if, if.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yep, we’ve got to remember if, and as my friend Joey Hudson in South Carolina always says, God’s in control. We can’t lose sight of and we can’t turn away from our faith. Now’s the time to lean into our faith. Now’s the time to remember what we believe because, Pat, that’s what matters. That’s what truly matters. And I worry sometimes about us turning away from that. But I’ll tell you what, to get to spend time with you and catch up and learn all about, you know, one, this Voices for Tanzania, you truly are one of my heroes. I admire you so very much. I mean it. I mean it. Not just because I’m starstruck, but because I appreciate who you are in your heart and your soul. And you and your Shirley doing so much good for the world. Every time you get to visit with us on the Mike Gallagher Show, you bless all of us. And I’m so grateful for your time, Pat. I can’t wait to catch up with you soon. And you just keep fighting the good fight because, you know, again, what you do is very overwhelming. And look, in many ways, you’re just getting started.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, really. I’m in full stride right now. I mean, I broke my hip. I’ve recovered from that. I’m working out in the gym twice a week with a trainer. He puts me through strenuous exercise. And, yeah, I feel as good right now as I ever did. And at 91. And and so I’m all I can do is thank God. I talk to Shirley every day and I feel like I get messages from her and nudges. I think she’s sometimes nudging the Lord saying, stop him, Lord. He’s doing too much now. He can’t do all this at once. Pull him back a little bit.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, tell Shirley we need you. We need you right now. We need you now more than ever, Pat. And I so appreciate you very much. Pat, all the best. Thanks for catching up with us again. I can’t wait to chat with you again soon. And thanks for this great, great work you’re doing on behalf of these poor people. You’re going to be making a world of difference, and we’re honored to spend time with you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, you yourself are a voice crying in the wilderness, so keep it up.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you, Pat. God bless. Thank you, Pat. The great Pat Boone.
