Howard Stern has been the "King of All Media" for decades. The legendary shock jock didn't make it to the top of the radio, TV, and movie mountain by himself, though. An army of sidekicks, staffers, and Wack Packers have contributed along the way. This is our list of some of those people you can't tell Howard Stern's full story without.
Howard Stern
You can't have this list without the man himself. Howard Stern began in radio in the mid-1970s and by the mid-'80s was already one of the biggest DJs in New York. By the mid-'90s he was arguably the biggest personality in radio history, at least in the latter half of the 20th Century.
When he left terrestrial radio for SiriusXM in 2005, he had become one of the biggest stars in the country, in any medium. He's starred in multiple TV shows, both as part of his radio show, and shows such as America's Got Talent, and has written multiple bestsellers, and had one giant hit movie with Private Parts. He truly is the king.
Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers has been Howard Stern's sidekick/newsreader/comedic foil almost since the beginning, first joining his show in 1981 in Washington DC, before going with him to New York a few years later. She's been a mainstay on the program, and, along with just a couple of other people, one of the most important people related to the show. Her life, including her battle with cancer, is as much a part of the show as Stern's.
Fred Norris
Fred Norris has been part of The Howard Stern Show through thick and thin. The sound man and effects wizard first teamed up with Stern briefly in 1979, before joining the staff full-time in 1981. He is the longest-tenured member of the team, and is one of the most beloved, especially by some members of the Wack Pack like Angry Alice. Hi Fred!
Jackie Martling
Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling first appeared on The Howard Stern as a guest in 1983 when it was on WNBC. When Stern was fired from WNBC and moved the show to WXRK (K-Rock) in 1985, he brought Martling in as a writer, eventually elevating him to head writer, and he became part of the on-air cadre. Due to a contract dispute in 2001, Martling left the show but has returned many times as a guest in the satellite era.
Artie Lange
When Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling left The Howard Stern Show in 2001, Howard Stern held a contest to "Win Jackie's Money" and fill the seat left vacant by Martling. The contest was essentially an open audition for a spot on the show, which was "won" by comedian Artie Lange. Lange quickly became a beloved member of the cast and there are dozens and dozens of the funniest moments on show courtesy of the New Jersey native. Sadly, addiction and other vices got the best of Lange over the years and he was let go from the show in 2010 after multiple incidents.
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate, or "Baba Booey" as he's derisively and affectionately known as, has been a producer for The Howard Stern Show since 1984. Dell'Abate, who is the most frequent object of scorn from the rest of the cast, has been a critical piece of the puzzle during his long run as the show's head producer. It could be argued that without his expertise in booking guests and producing segments, the show would have never become what it is today.
Ronnie The Limo Driver
Ronnie Mund, who is known to fans as Ronnie the Limo Driver, was just that in the beginning, Stern's limo driver. He later became Stern's bodyguard, but he's most known for his bombastic and gruff personality that has made him a fan favorite. He is often mocked by the other members of the staff, and his tendency to fly off the handle at the smallest slight often makes for some of the funniest moments on the show. He's all about having a good time.
Sal The Stockbroker
Sal Governale, a.k.a. Sal The Stockbroker, is living the dream of every hardcore Howard Stern fan. The former stockbroker was originally a regular fan and frequent caller into the show, usually to mock Gary Dell'Abate. Eventually, he joined the staff, first as a writer, in 2005 after "Stuttering" John Melendez left, then later as a producer.
Stuttering John
"Stuttering" John Melendez was famous for his darting interviews on The Howard Stern Show and was involved in multiple altercations with celebrities after asking incredibly rude and awkward questions in press conferences and on red carpets. He also had multiple on-air fights with fellow staff members. He left the show in 2005 after 17 years on the team to join The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as the announcer.
Richard Christie
When "Stuttering" John left the show in 2005, Stern held a contest to fill his role. The winner of the contest, Richard Christie, has been with the show ever since. He's by far the oddest (and one of the funniest) members of the staff, working as a writer and one of the two main people (along with Sal The Stockbroker) to make the prank calls that the show is famous for.
Beth Ostrosky Stern
You cannot tell the history of The Howard Stern Show or of Stern himself, without including a lot about his personal life. Beth Ostrosky Stern is Stern's second wife and has been a mainstay in his stories on the show since they first started dating in 2000. She's also been a frequent guest. Before getting involved with Stern and his show, she was a model and actress, including having a part in one of Ben Stiller's best films, Flirting With Disaster.
Ralph Cirella
Ralph Cirella, who died in 2023, was a huge part of Howard Stern's life and a frequent contributor to the show. He served primarily as his fashion consultant and stylist, but as fans will point out, seemed to take a lot of Stern's style for himself as well. He was so close to Stern that the shock jock almost broke down when he announced his death in December of '23.
George Takei
Star Trek legend George Takei has been a friend of the show for decades now, including working as the show's announcer off and on since it moved to SiriusXM. It's hard to believe it all started with a botched prank phone call years ago. Takei is also never afraid to fill everyone in on his personal life and his long-running feud with his Star Trek co-star William Shatner.
Beetlejuice
Without the Wack Pack, Stern's menagerie of weirdos and kooks, you couldn't have The Howard Stern Show, and first and foremost among them is the legendary Beetlejuice, who has been touted as the greatest of them all by Stern and others.
High Pitch Erik
One of the most senior members of the Wack Pack is the very odd High Pitch Erik. It's hard to describe Erik, except that he is constantly berated by Stern and the rest of the cast. You'd feel sorry for him, but he keeps coming back for more.
Kevin Metheny
The role Paul Giamatti played in Howard Stern's hit movie, Private Parts, in 1997 was a composite of Stern's various bosses at radio stations over the years, but chief among them was Kevin Metheny, Matheny was Stern's boss at WNBC who was nicknamed "Pig Virus" by Stern on the air. Matheny died in 2014.
Howard Stern's Parents
Obviously, you can't tell the story of Stern and his radio show without his parents, Ben and Ray Stern. Not only did they raise the man who would become Howard Stern, they were mainstays on the show for years. His father Ben died in 2022 at age 99 and Ray has been a part of the show less since.
Benjy Bronk
It's hard to pick out who gets picked on the most out of the staff, but writer and producer Benjy Bronk has a real claim to be made. Frequently the target of Stern's wrath, Bronk has managed to maintain a coveted spot as an in-studio writer for the show.
Eric The Actor
The cantankerous Eric The Actor (Eric Lynch) was one of the most controversial Wack Packers until his death in 2014. He was loved by some and hated by many, but he was always good for a laugh.
Billy West
In the late '80s and '90s, almost every impression on the show was done by voice magician Billy West. West was a staff member for years, doing impressions and writing for the show. He left in 1995 and has gone on to voice some of the most famous characters in animation, specifically those on Ren & Stimpy, and Futurama, and as many of the Warner Bros. cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny.
Riley Martin
Uh...listen, man...you can't tell the story of The Howard Stern Show without Wack Packer and supposed alien abductee Riley Martin. He even landed his own show on Stern's SiriusXM channel for a time. O-Qua Tangin Wann!
Don Imus
The only person to appear on this list who was not a member of the show is Don Imus, who was Stern's arch-enemy of sorts. A fellow radio personality with whom Stern feuded with often over the years, Imus was the star at WNBC when Stern arrived in the '80s and the two immediately took a disliking to each other. In a way, Imus was part of what drove Stern to become the best in the business.
Jeff The Drunk
One of the more controversial Wack Packers is definitely Jeff The Drunk. He is despised by many fans, yet he's been a part of the show for so long now that you can't not mention him on a list like this.
Fred The Elephant Boy
Considered by some to be the OG Wack Packer, Fred The Elephant Boy was part of the show for decades until his death in early 2023. He was also kind of the most normal of the bunch, but far from normal, of course.
Alison Berns Stern
Until their separation in 1999, Howard Stern often talked about his first wife, Alison Berns Stern. The two were college sweethearts and have three children together. Alison was played by Mary McCormack in Private Parts.
Sour Shoes
Michael DelCampo, or Sour Shoes, has been a frequent contributor to the show. Known for his hilarious prank phone calls and spot-on celebrity impressions, Sour Shoes is a fan favorite, despite being completely unpredictable and notoriously hard for the staff to control.
Crackhead Bob
One of the most loved Wack Packers of all time was Crackhead Bob. Though sober for years, his past addiction wrecked his body, and due to a series of strokes, he had a severe speech impediment that made him almost impossible to understand. Still, the audience loved him. Bob died in 2016.
Tom Chiusano
Like many of his bosses over the years, Tom Chiusano, Stern's boss at K-Rock, was frequently featured on the show. Also like many of his bosses, Chiusano tried in vain to reign Stern in. In the end, he wasn't really a bad boss and let The Howard Stern Show get away with a lot on the air.
A. J. Benza
Gossip maven A. J. Benza was a regular contributor to the show in the '90s, but he makes this list because of one of the most notorious moments in the show's history, when he started a fistfight with Stuttering John on the air. Benza was sitting in for Jackie Martling during the "Win Jackie's Money" contest and lost out on the seat to Artie Lange, in part, some believe, because of the fight.
Shuli Egar
Shuli Egar's main job on The Howard Stern Show was to keep tabs on the Wack Pack. It's something he did very well until he abruptly left the show in early 2021 for a more peaceful life.
J. D. Harmeyer
J. D. Harmeyer has long been in charge of social media and putting together video clips for the show. He's also long been the butt of many jokes because of his awkward personality. One of the more innocent members of the staff, he's had to put up with a lot over the years.
Scott The Engineer
Scott the Engineer (Scott Salem) was the main audio engineer on the show for an amazing 33 years before leaving in early 2020. He was often the target of attacks on the air, but clearly, he was very good at his job.
Howard Stern has conquered radio, TV, and even movies. He also sparked a rumor in 2022 that he could find his way into the MCU, though nothing has been revealed officially. He didn't do it on his own, and these are just some of the people that have helped make him an American icon.
