Listen to my interview with Angry Black on my radio show, STEVE LUDWIG'S CLASSIC POP CULTURE: www.sprealer.com/user/mxpw_steve_ludwigs_classic_pop_culture_4_2
ANGRY BLACK, HOWARD STERN, & ME
(PART ONE)

By Steve Ludwig

Back on December 8, 2006, I had quintuple open-heart bypass surgery. And, yippee!! I survived!

Three years after my surgery, right around Christmas time, as I was doing three of my favorite things -- lying on the couch, watching TV and just vegging-out -- I was thinking of how lucky I was to be alive.

Yes, I know, it sounds corny...and I assure you in my younger days I would probably have secretly laughed at people like myself for being so dramatic.

And I can also assure you that, on December 8, 2006, I had every intention of making it through my open-heart surgery; I had complete trust in my doctors. 

Yet, there was a very quick thought that I could die on the operating table, ya know?

 So as I lay prone, couched, three years and a few days later, I started thinking of some people whom I hadn't spoken to since before my procedure. 

One of them was a really good guy, someone whose company I always enjoyed being in -- Shelley Harris. 

I found Shelley's phone number in my book, and gave him a call. I got his voice-mail, and the greeting was one of those automated ones; it wasn't Shelley's voice. I wondered if this was even still Shelley's number; it'd been a few years since we talked.

Nonetheless, I left a message, just telling Shelley that I was calling him to wish him a happy holiday, and having survived open-heart surgery, I've learned to appreciate how special it is to have known excellent people like him.

The message wasn't one that required an answer; like I said, I wasn't sure it was even still his number.

Imagine how glad I was to reconnect with Shelley a few weeks ago on Twitter.

Howard Stern fans will recognize Shelley by his other name -- Angry Black.

Shelley, as a die-hard Howard Stern fan (like yours truly), always took exception (and still does) to people who would badmouth Howard...people who didn't "get" Howard, like Stern's fans did.

It would make Shelley angry; in Shelley's words, it would make him an angry black man.

He'd call in to Howard's show and defend Howard against all his detractors. 

Soon, "Angry Black" became a fixture of Howard's show; he was a bonafide member of Stern's "Wack Pack."

I'm a teacher, and to supplement my income, I (along with a fellow teacher) bought a small video store in Hackensack, NJ. in the late eighties through the early 2000's. I'd work after school hours and on weekends. 
I met Shelley when he became a member of my video store. From the outset, I could tell he was a cool guy. He was (and is to this day)) a walking encyclopedia of all things pop culture. He knew everything a person could know about movies, TV, music...you name it! He'd hang out in the store and we'd talk and talk about anything and everything.
It was soon obvious that we shared another common interest; we were both rabid Howard Stern fans.

We 'd go to see members of the Howard Stern crew when they were making appearances in the area.
Shelley took these two pictures of me. The first is Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, at whose show Shelley was introduced to the audience to a rousing ovation.
And the second picture is of Gary Dell'Abate, better known as "Baba Booey." Gary was at a video store signing, and Shelley told me he'd introduce me to Gary. 
He did, and Gary was cool and really friendly. 

Skip ahead to early 2001. 

Crazy Cabbie was a DJ on Howard's radio station at the time, 92.3 K-Rock. Cabbie and Shelley got into a feud, and in order to settle the score, Howard decided they should fight it out in a boxing ring.

There was a huge buildup, with Shelley and Cabbie promising to knock the other's block off.

The fight was scheduled for April 27, 2001, in what was then the WWE Night Club and Restaurant in Times Square (it's now a Hard Rock Cafe).

The day before, Shelley and Cabbie were to appear on the Howard Stern radio show for the final hype. 

Shelley asked me if I wanted to go with him and his fight handlers and hang out in the green room. I thought about it for half a second-- YEAH!!!

Shelley made it clear I wouldn't meet Howard, I would just wait in the green room while he was in the radio studio.

That was good enough for me...I was excited just for the experience.

I took half a personal day from school. In my car, I followed Shelley, his trainer and a few of his friends in their car, and before I knew it, we were parking in the underground K-Rock lot at about 5:30 AM. 

Shelley knew his way around; he'd been on the show and in the studio many times before. The parking attendant said hi to him.

We took the elevator up to the K-Rock studios. We were met at the door by Ronnie the Limo Driver. As fans of the show know, Ronnie picks Howard up each morning and drives him to the studio. But Ronnie is also Howard's chief of security. On this morning, Ronnie wasn't the silly guy on the radio who was often the butt of many jokes by the other members of Howard's crew.

He was all business. Shelley introduced me to Ronnie.

"Hi, arms up please," was all Ronnie said as he scanned me with the security stick. (I noticed that Ronnie was also all-business when I was at a couple of the America's Got Talent shows in Newark this past summer. He would stand stoically at the side of the stage, watching over Howard.)

We all went into the green room, which wasn't green at all, and sat down. (I've recently been lucky enough to appear on a couple of cable TV shows in promotion of my book, SEE YOU IN CCU [ccubook.com], and the green rooms at those studios weren't green, either.)

 Already I knew it was worth the trip, because walking into the green room a few minutes later were two more members of Howard's Wack Pack: Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf and High-Pitch Eric.

High-Pitch was actually quite quiet throughout his whole stay in the green room. Perhaps he was self-conscious of his voice when he was not on the radio?

Hank was the coolest. I was wearing a Beatles Revolver necktie (because I was going to school in the afternoon), and immediately Hank said, somewhat drunkenly, "You a Beatles fan?" Before I could answer, Hank said, "I love music. Ask me any question, go 'head. Ask me."

I forgot what I asked him, but he got the answer right. He smiled, took a slug out of the the bottle of whatever it was he was drinking, and said, "Ask me another." So we spent a few minutes asking each other music questions. 

I could tell Hank was a very smart person. Unfortunately, I could also tell he had a serious drinking problem. Sadly, despite efforts by Howard and other members of his staff to get him to stay in a rehab program, Hank passed away from alcohol-related problems, in his sleep, a little over four months after I took this picture with Eric and him on that day:

Each time I look at the picture, I get a kick out of how Hank made himself comfortable, leaning on me. I guess he felt we were officially music-lover buddies.

While I was in the green room, Shelley and Cabbie were already being interviewed on the radio by Howard about the big fight the next day:

There were a lot of angry and crazy words exchanged between Angry Black and Crazy Cabbie. 

Famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer ("Let's get ready to rrrruuuuuummmmmmbbbbbllllleeeee!!!!!!"), who would be the ring announcer on fight day, was in the studio, and I even got to shake hands with him when he came into the green room. The only reason that was possible was because Shelley introduced me to him. 

I hate to blow his cover, but despite his "Angry Black" persona, Shelley is one of the all-time nice guys I've met. Throughout his busy day promoting the fight, he time and again made sure I was having a good time.

After the interview, Shelley and his entourage returned to the green room. They wanted everybody to wait around because E! Television, which taped the Howard TV show, wanted to shoot some segments. 

Stuttering John Melendez and Gary Dell'Abate would each stop in the green room every once in a while, keeping Shelley updated on what was coming next.

Boxing fans will know the name Iran Barkley. He was boxing champion in the middleweight, super middleweight, and light-heavyweight divisions throughout his career. Now retired, he was also in the studio to offer Howard his expertise on who would win the big fight.

I wanted to take a picture of Shelley, Iran, and Shelley's trainer and friends, so I asked them all to get together for a picture. Before I could click the button, Shelley told me to get in the picture (again, looking out for me), so I hopped in the back. High-Pitch took this picture:

You'll notice Iran Barkley, second from the left, right next to Shelley (in the Yankees shirt).

Soon, Crazy Cabbie came running into the green room, followed by the E! Television cameras. 

"I want Black! I want Black!" 

Shelley and Cabbie did some fake lunging at each other, really playing it up for the cameras. Cabbie finally left the room, and the TV cameras were on Shelley.

"Steve, come up here and help me." 

I got off the couch and did a pseudo-shoulder rub on Shelley, acting like I was trying to calm his nerves. I was the nervous one, knowing the TV cameras were on. I remember murmuring something to the effect of, "Crazy Flabby..." or something like that to the cameras, but I guess I wasn't convincing enough; that segment was never shown on TV. 

Before I knew it, it was 11:15 AM. Howard had signed off the air, and I was getting ready to get to school to teach my afternoon classes.

As I was saying goodbye to Shelley and his crew, wishing them good luck tomorrow at the fight, Shelley asked me if I wanted to go to the fight.

Wow! I never expected to be asked to go, because Shelley only had a certain number of guests that he was allowed to have sit at ringside. 

"I'll put you on my list," he told me.

I had already taken half a personal day at school, and although I had left an assignment for my students in my absence on this day, I didn't want to miss work two mornings in a row. 

I told Shelley thanks, I'd love to, but I really shouldn't miss school again.

"Well, call me if you change your mind," Shelley said as I wished him one more good luck for tomorrow's fight.

I drove back to New Jersey, thinking about what a super experience I had had, all thanks to Angry Black.

As I passed through the Lincoln Tunnel onto the Jersey side, I took out my cell phone.

"Hey, Shell. It's Steve. On second thought, I think I will go to the fight tomorrow."

"OK, I'll put you on the list. See you then," Shelley answered.

AND IN PART TWO OF MY NEXT BLOG, I'LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE BIG FIGHT. I SAT RINGSIDE, FRONT ROW. WRESTLERS TRIPLE H AND STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN WERE THERE.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT WAS LIKE WATCHING THE FIGHT SEATED RIGHT NEXT TO A FORMER BOXING CHAMPION; SEEING HOWARD, ROBIN, AND FRED IN PERSON, AND ALL THE HOOPLA OF THE BIG EVENT.

AND, OH, YEAH, I'LL TELL YOU HOW THE FIGHT ITSELF WENT, AND HOW I ACTUALLY MET THE MAN, HOWARD STERN, IN THE RING AFTERWARDS (thanks to Shelley, of course!).

FOLLOW SHELLEY HARRIS  ("ANGRY BLACK") ON TWITTER: www.Twitter.com/AngryBlackTHSS

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: www.Twitter.com/LudGuy

Do you like pop culture? (Please say yes...) I have a radio show called STEVE LUDWIG'S CLASSIC POP CULTURE, at www.PlanetLudwig.com. Thanks!

IF YOU ENJOYED READING MY BLOG, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO CONSIDER READING MY BOOK? IT'S CALLED SEE YOU IN CCU - A LIGHTHEARTED TALE OF MY OPEN-HEART SURGERY.

IT'S AVAILABLE AT barnesandnoble.com AND amazon.com, BUT IF YOU BUY IT DIRECTLY FROM ME AT MY WEBSITE  ccubook.com, IT'S HALF-PRICE.

MY OTHER BROTHER, TOM, ALSO WRITES A BLOG AT secondgrademinds.wordpress.com.

AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR READING! -Steve