Howard Stern From “Shock Jock” to King of All Me

Known as "Howeird" earlier in his career, Howard Stern would take his brand of shock and weirdness and use it propel him into becoming the world's highest paid radio personality with a weekly salary of more than $1 million!

The thing is, Stern has always maintained that he does not go out to shock anybody and claims to find the term "shock jock" to refer to him as resentful. Yet, his most memorable lines on air have never been short of shocking or controversial. Stern, in the course of his career, had said that the United States had "too many freedoms;" that Hollywood should make a movie about mentally challenged individuals that are closer to real life (they "lock them up"); and a slew of tirades and insults against public personalities, actors, politicians, as well as himself in the form of self-derogatory comments like take potshots at his name, his sex life, his looks and his talents.

Stern's life has not been perfect. He had overcome an obsessive compulsive disorder and got divorced from his wife of 21 years because of workaholism. After that, he claimed that he does not want to marry again, only to tie the knot with Beth Ostrosky in 2008. He started his radio career as a student in Boston University. He then moved up from job to job and from station to station, to where he was at the highest point of his radio career. He ended his broadcast radio career in December 2005 and transferred to the more liberal environment of Internet radio.

Behind the self-demeaning facade and the controversial remarks, however, Stern has become the most influential personality in his industry. Armed with a 3.8 GPA and a degree in communications from Boston University, Stern has always shown wit, intelligence and unrelenting bluntness that, coupled with his penchant for the controversial, catapulted him into star status. And his success is not limited to radio. He has by far one successful movie, two highly successful books, and he has also launched his digital cable station, earning him the moniker “King of All Media.”

Stern’s life and success had been a series of accidental realizations that he made throughout his life, one creating a ripple effect of events that, because of his talent and competence, proved beneficial for him. If he did not volunteer for a job at his college university, he would not have gotten the love for radio, as well as the realization that he would not succeed in that medium by following others who have come before him. If he had been too queasy to shake up things, he would not have captured the hearts and minds of his audience and would have stayed as just another regular radio show host.

Stern certainly appeals to those of us who are sick of politely keeping our silence, even if we know that something is wrong. Stern does the lashing out for those who cannot correct someone or something, even if they wanted to. What’s more, Stern proves that to be successful, you need only to work hard and push the limits. You do not wait for things to happen to you, but you make it happen instead. Being poor (Stern’s dad was a radio technician and his mom was a housewife, while Stern started in radio broadcasting without a substantial paycheck), does not hinder you from getting rich and being successful.

You may love or hate Howard Stern, but he has never been one to change his opinions, thoughts and the nasty way he delivers just to please those who find him offensive. In fact, in his whole career, Stern has racked up a most impressive list of fines from the FCC, and has been known to make guests cry on air. His insults are nothing short of frank and even brutal, yet he will not tone it down for fear of a public backlash.

The result? Howard Stern has built a fan base that made him one of the richest talk radio personalities in the United States, if not the richest. When he speaks, people listen, and they take note of what comes out of his mouth. His power and influence have earned him a slot on Time 100's 2006 list and Forbes' Most Powerful Celebrities in the World, and evidenced by a plea, he made to his listeners to donate $5 to the survivors and victims of the 9/11 attacks that eventually pooled more than $4 million!