Rain Can't Stop Stern Last-Show Rally

Howard Stern

Starting his final terrestrial radio show to the strains of "taps," HOWARD STERN spent FRIDAY morning reminiscing with friends, family, and fans while a large, rain-soaked crowd filled MANHATTAN's West 56th Street for a rally to commemmorate the end of STERN's reign on INFINITY's WXRK/NEW YORK and his departure for SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO, where he will start his new satellite career on JANUARY 9. Undaunted by the weather ("I'm going out there no matter what. I don't care if there's a freakin' tsunami") and a threatened transit strike which endangered the rally but did not materialize by the start of the rally, STERN joined his cast- ROBIN QUIVERS, FRED NORRIS, ARTIE LANGE, and producer GARY "BABA BOOEY" DELL'ABATE- on stage after 9a ET. 

I am the last of a dying breed. I refuse to bow down...

STERN greeted the "HOW-ARD!"-chanting crowd with a speech that started with some jokes ("I stand before you erect- I don't mean like that, I mean I'm standing here tall and straight.... I see a sea of shining faces and I have to ask myself 'does anybody work anymore?'") and moved on to proclaim that "I am the last of a dying breed. I refuse to bow down...." Repeating the "dying breed" comment several times, he thanked his fans ("YOU are the last of a dying breed") for giving him ratings to allow him to fight management.  "We are all the last of a dying breed and we've done it all... we made history together, the last of a dying breed," STERN repeated, running through a list of highlights of the show's history.  "I am a lucky man," STERN said, repeating a fan's shout. "I'm lucky because I have you.... Are we not a spectacular giant family?"  STERN closed the rally by proclaiming "I want to thank everyone here for having the same sick, infantile sense of humor I do... long live the revolution, long live the HOWARD STERN SHOW, long live the HOWARD STERN SHOW audience, and F JACKIE!"

Before STERN and sidekicks emerged from the studio to greet the fans, the crowd heard a series of speeches by show personalities and "wack packers," augmented by performances by the final show's "stage band" STAIND. Show imaging voice PAUL TURNER introduced a succession of "wack packers" and show personalities like CLIFF PALATE, FRED THE ELEPHANT BOY, BEETLEJUICE, "MISS HOWARD STERN," JEFF THE DRUNK, RILEY MARTIN, HIGH-PITCH ERIK, "WENDY THE RETARD," "GARY THE RETARD," JOHN THE STUTTERER, and Klansman DANIEL CARVER, who gave brief speeches and greeted the throng of fans. WXRK/NEW YORK GM TOM CHIUSANO addressed the crowd and was greeted by a chorus of boos and the chant of "give HOWARD the tapes," a reference to STERN's battle with INFINITY over possession of tape carts with show material on them.

In the final show's first two hours, STERN spent most of the time reminiscing with his crew and visitors that included former regulars like character voice specialist AL ROSENBERG and frequent guest AMY LYNN BAXTER. STERN's daughters, lawyer DOMINIC BARBARA, and porn stars TABITHA STEVENS and COURTNEY CUMMZ (who will date one audience member as part of a last-show contest) also stopped by the studio to pay their respects to STERN on his last terresterial radio show.

An "after-show" featuring a performance by SHERYL CROW at the HARD ROCK CAFE will follow the rally, which STERN picking some fans to join the cast and crew for the festivities.

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