Howard Stern Biography

Howard Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Queens, New York City, USA, to Ben and Ray Stern. He was brought up along with his older sister Ellen in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens. Howard was an extrovert, while his sister was comparatively quiet in going about her routine.

He also visited his father’s recording studio and was influenced by radio artists like Bob Grant and Brad Crandall. He wanted to become a radio jockey from the age of five and persuaded his father to build a make-believe studio at the basement of his house, where he entertained his friends.

His family moved to Rockville when he was 15 years old. In Rockville, he attended the ‘South Side High School’ from where he graduated in 1972.

Howard Stern started his career as a marketing executive for the New York advertising agency ‘Benton & Bowles.’ He later joined the creative department of the agency. However, he always knew that he wanted to work at a radio station and hence, started looking out for jobs in the entertainment field.

Despite his best efforts, WWWW failed to achieve popularity and hence Stern had to quit his job. He then went on to host the morning shows of WWDC in Washington, DC. His shows became an instant hit and he was offered a five-year deal with WNBC. Stern took up the contract and also agreed to host an afternoon session with WNBC. This led to several differences with the management of WWDC, but his shows were widely appreciated and his ratings soared in America.

In August 1982, he began his stint with WNBC and made his debut appearance in the television talk show ‘Late Night with David Letterman.’ He was also featured in ‘People’ magazine which increased his popularity. However, he also had differences with the management of WNBC, resulting in the termination of his contract in 1985.

In late 2004, Howard Stern signed a five-year deal worth $500 million with ‘Sirius Satellite Radio,’ a subscription based satellite radio station, which is exempted from the FCC broadcast regulations.

In late 2011, Stern replaced Piers Morgan as the judge of ‘America’s Got Talent’ in its seventh season. He continued his role till the end of the show’s tenth season. He released his third book ‘Howard Stern Comes Again’ in May 2019.

Howard Stern's television shows include ‘The Howard Stern Show’ (1987) and (1990 – 1992), ‘The Howard Stern Interview’ (1992 – 1993), ‘The Howard Stern Radio Show’ (1998 – 2001), and ‘Howard Stern On Demand’ (2005 – 2013).

In 1998, Howard Stern won the ‘Blockbuster Entertainment Award’ under the ‘Favorite Male Newcomer’ category for his performance in ‘Private Parts.’

Stern married his ‘Boston University’ sweetheart Alison Berns at ‘Temple Ohabei Shalom’ in Brookline, Massachusetts on June 4, 1978. They have three daughters, namely Emily, Debra, and Ashley.

In October 1999, he decided to live separately in an apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan due to work pressure. He later settled for an amicable divorce in 2001. In the intervening period, he dated Angie Everhart and Robin Givens. Later, he entered into a relationship with television host and model Beth Ostrosky whom he married in October 2008.