Fans of Howard Stern‘s SiriusXM radio show are well acquainted with his “Wack Pack,” a motley collection of eccentric callers such as High Pitch Eric (nicknamed for his Mickey Mouse-like voice), Tan Mom, Bigfoot and Beetlejuice.
Sadly, several fan-favorite Wack Packers have passed away in recent years, including Eric the Actor, Joey Boots, Crackhead Bob and Fred the Elephant Boy.
Sadly, another one-time regular on “The Howard Stern Show” has joined that list.
A Feisty Favorite of Fans
On Friday, October 2, TMZ reported that Ronnie Benjamin, known to listeners as Big Black, had passed away age age 64.
“The NYC Medical Examiner’s Office tells TMZ … Big Black died of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition in which fatty plaque builds up inside the artery walls, causing them to narrow and harden,” the outlet reports.
“The M.E.’s office declined to say where or when he died, but the condition is considered a natural cause of death,” TMZ added.
Benjamin, who was a member of MENSA, first began calling into the show in the mid-1990s, and became a favorite of Stern’s.
He was best remembered by fans for his fiery interactions with fellow Wack Packer Lawrence Coward, known to listeners as King of All Blacks.
“Although Big Black was not a regular on the show, Howard would keep him for extended interviews when he was in the studio because of his brutal honesty about his bleak existence, which fascinated the Shock Jock and his audience,” TMZ noted.
A Long-Awaited Return
In 2011, Benjamin called into the show for his first time in five years, telling Stern that he’d “been hanging in my bunker in the South Bronx.”
At the time, he revealed that he’d briefly been employed as a security guard at Yankee Stadium, but was currently collecting unemployment benefits while trying to launch himself as a YouTube personality. “I’ve been making YouTube videos…to publicize myself. To get out there, you know,” he told Stern.
He also shared another big revelation: during the years he’d been off the show, he lost his virginity. However, that relationship fizzled out, and he was flying solo. “Right now, I’d say I have no friends,” he sadly shared.
He also told Stern that he hadn’t spoked with his family in 20 years. “I hate the world, man. That’s how it is,” he said.
That appearance led King of All Blacks to call in again, restarting their feud. Stern immediately came up with the idea of offering the two their own show.
That show actually came to fruition. Titled “Black on Black,” the show quickly encountered problems when Benjamin refused to record further episodes because he claimed he hadn’t been paid.
The show, however, returned, and “Black on Black” appeared a few more times in 2012 before coming to a conclusion.
Stern has yet to comment on Benajmin’s passing, but given that he’s only doing one show per week, it’s likely that listeners will hear a tribute when he returns with a new episode on Monday, October 5.
Comments
Fan-Favorite Member of Howard Stern’s ‘Wack Pack’ Has Passed Away at 64