This is a very touching book telling the real storie of two young boys from Alabama and how with God's guidance, they put together one of the most popular morning radio show, know as the "Rick and Bubba Show". The story develops with each one giving his input in alternating chapters, telling in a very personal and informal way their experiences, frustrations, hopes, joys and sorrows of an ordinary daily life and how they use it to connect to the same ordinary people that compose their audience and connected immediately with their stories. This simple formula and God's guidance was the key for their success, despite all difficulties they had in their way to reach the top. Every struggle, every battle, every victory, every doubt they had during their journey is very well described and they clearly and loudly give all the credit of their success to the Lord. If you did not know them from hearing their show every morning, even them you will get connected to those two guys, "the two sexiest fat men alive", as they call themselves. This was the first book I read from them and definetely I will look for the other titles they already published in the past. I recommend this book to any reader looking for a very well written book with tones of commedy and tragedy, but overall very entertaining. Deserves to be in my permanent library.

This book was written by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey with contribution of Don Keith and it was published by Thomas Nelson in 2011 and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program.
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I did not have any real expectations for this book as it is a biography. We Be Big is the biography of two radio deejays in Alabama that made it big because the stayed true to one cause.. "Be who we are and nothing less". I am not a big reader of biographies but I do really enjoy radio. So I figured what the hay, I can read about how two unlikely men became deejays and did the most unlikely thing and made it big. After reading the story of these two I see that they really do mean that they will refuse to change just because someone tells them that studies show or the big station down the road is doing it this way. After the first few chapters and a lot of digging in my heels to continue I am glad I finished. I never give away a plot in my reviews and I am not about to start so you must read and trust me when I say it is well worth the spectator admission price for this viewing. ( )

About twenty years ago, when we were approaching the turn of the century, I remember reading that large personality-based Christian religious organizations were declining in influence. The writer saw God using ordinary, unknown people in extraordinary ways in this new era. "We Be Big" is evidence that the writer’s reasoning was sound. Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey—“Rick & Bubba”—are ordinary good-ole-boys from the Deep South. Without formal training but with a willingness to work hard, the two men become radio personalities. Their creative craziness, over-the-top humor, and willingness to talk about their faith on the show set them apart from the “professional” on-air personalities.

"We Be Big" carries the reader from the bumpy beginnings through to the syndicated show of today in this well written book. For those listeners who are curious about the men behind the madness, this is the perfect book. For readers who never had the opportunity to hear "The Rick and Bubba Show," this is a delightful introduction to the way God chooses to use ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

Thank you "BookSneeze" for the free copy of "We Be Big." ( )

We Be Big: The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids From Calhoun County, Alabama, Became Rick and Bubba by Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey

I begin by noting that I am not a fan of the Rick and Bubba Show on radio. When I lived in an area where the program was broadcast, I listened occasionally while driving but it never fell into the category of “must hear radio” for me. So I did not read We Be Big from a fan’s perspective. Nevertheless, I came away both entertained by the way these fellows told their life stories and highly impressed by their ability to grow stronger in their faith while coping with some major hardships in their lives.

Frankly, the subtitle was the first thing that interested me about this book. I am also from Calhoun County, Alabama. In fact, I graduated from the same high school as Rick Burgess, a dozen years before him. Even though I did not know the Burgess or Bussey families, I am familiar with many of the places mentioned in their book. When Rick mentions skating at Sunshine Skate Center or living in the Cheaha Acres neighborhood, I know exactly what he is talking about. When he mentions the call letters of radio stations in the area, I have listened to those stations. It provides a kind of connection that makes reading the story of these two “good ole boys” who made it big in radio all the more interesting.

Rick and Bill (aka Bubba) alternate chapters that interweave their stories together. Bill grew up with a great interest in the technical side of radio. From early childhood, Rick was destined to be an entertainer. Both boys had play radio stations as kids; Bill’s actually worked to send out a weak signal that could be heard by his neighbors. Rick and Bill met while attending Jacksonville State University. Rick was already working for the campus radio station as well as holding down a weekend shift at a commercial station in nearby Anniston. After college, Bill went into the business and technical side of radio while Rick developed his resume as an on-air personality.

Several years later, they teamed together on a morning show on a Gadsden FM station. When the station relocated to the larger Birmingham market, their jobs were endangered. They switched to another station where the Rick and Bubba Show really took off.

The real heart of the book comes after all the back story has been told. Both men are strong believers in Christ who are not timid in talking about their faith on a popular secular radio show. The climax of the story comes when a tragic accident takes the life of one of Rick’s children. By this time, Rick and Bubba were highly popular radio stars with fame, fans, and lots of money. All that did nothing to compensate for the death of a child. What was an entertaining life story becomes much more when these men write about the lessons they learned through that horrible adversity.

Burgess and Bussey espouse a typical Protestant view of salvation by accepting Christ as one’s personal savior, with salvation occurring at that moment in time. Readers who do not share that assumption about salvation will find that teaching a flaw in the book. Beyond that objection, this reviewer found We Be Big to be a well-written story that packs a big emotional wallop.

I wrote this review as a participant in the Book Sneeze book reviewers program. Free copies of the books are provided in exchange for writing and publishing reviews. Honest opinions are solicited. Favorable reviews are not required to participate in the program. ( )