|
by Doc, DeansPlanet.Com staff writer |
| Can I Have Your Autograph... / Stewart Brodian |
| "The
Howard Stern Guy"
Stewart Brodian
09-12-02
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Just exactly what does it take to be considered for induction
into my HowardShrine?
Good question. I wish I could give you a good straight-forward
answer. There really is no etched in stone formula. Even
how often someone appears on the show is not a factor. Certain
celebrities who have appeared numerous times on the show
I would not even consider while others who have appeared
only once or twice I'm on them like flies on shit. A big
part of the decision is how they are perceived in the public
eye, how closely they are associated with Howard and the
Show.
Although
he has appeared only twice on the show, the last time being
almost 3 years ago, Stewart Brodian, The Howard Stern guy,
is the epitome of someone whose public persona is all about
Howard. Being the only Howard Stern impersonator
that I know of (excluding Opie and Anthony and ManCow of
course) Stewart clearly meets this criteria and I contacted
him via e-mail off of his website. Stewart was one of the
first people I contacted and he was nice enough to send
me two 8x10s, one signed and one unsigned and a signed computer
printout. Receiving the photos was great but Stewart did
something else in the early months of the shrine that played
a big part in its development. He cared. He would e-mail
me every few weeks. "How's the shrine coming along?"
Stewart was one of the first people to see the custom doors
in place. I even sent him a  video
that I made. One day I got the bright idea of including
not just signed photos but other memorabilia and I asked
Stewart if he would donate a lock of his infamous hair.
No problem. HAHAHAHA!! Zany? Off the wall? Outrageous? I
thought so until I saw a lock of George Washington's hair
for sale in the magazine, the Autograph Collector. You say
that Stewart Brodian has never been confused with the Father
of our Country? Well, he has been confused with the King
of All Media MANY times and that's what it's all about.
I
asked Stewart recently if he would grant me an interview
and he said, "Hey Now, hey now, hey now." Actually
he said he would love to. Thanks How...ah...I mean Stewart. |
| Doc:
How long have you been impersonating Howard? |
Stewart:
I started around 1991. I had been letting my hair
grow longer and people started yelling "Howard".
Many people suggested that I pursue it, so I gave it a try
(and I'm glad I did!). |
| Doc:
What was your first gig as Howard? |
| Stewart:
I don't remember, but it was probably at a party
or something. |
| Doc:
How many times have you been on his show? |
| Stewart:
Twice! August '98 + January '00. |
| Doc:
What reaction did you get? |
| Stewart:
Nothing different than when I was in High school
- you know; whenever you get a little popular, everybody has
to talk to you (that has been both good and bad). |
|
| Doc:
Do you plan to go on his show again? |
Stewart:
I'd like to. I'm just waiting for another good
excuse or gimmick to go on with. |
| Doc:
Has this helped your career? |
Stewart:
Of course! Many people whom have appeared on his
show, expect Howard to  help
their career and it doesn't work like that. He has thousands
of guests on his show every year! Anything you attain after
appearing on his show can only result if you work at it yourself.
I know, because I use the opportunity to no end - all flyers
and ads for my appearances always state that I've been on
the Stern Show. |
| Doc:
Have you been on any other shows as Stern? |
| Stewart:
Yes! Rikki Lake, back in '98 and Regis And Kelly
July '02. I was also seen in NYC in August '98 goofing around
with VJ Jesse live in Times Square on MTV. |
| Doc:
Are you only an impersonator? |
| Stewart:
No, I am also a musician, composer and a radio DJ!
|
| Doc:
Do you do the same things on your show as Howard? |
Stewart:
No. I play mostly music, but I do take a few
minutes out to speak my mind on different issues. Some of
my listeners have told me that I exhibit a little more personality
than my peers. |
Doc:
What
do you think about Howard's talk of quitting
when his contract expires in three years? |
Stewart:
He's
threatened to quit before, but this time I
think he means it. I've thought of submitting a resume' to
be
his replacement, but I don't know. I'm a very creative person
and I don't know If I want to restrict my life to being somewhere
at 5:00 AM five days a week. I can sometimes be a spur of
the moment type of person and sometimes I think his lifestyle
just wouldn't be worth it at any type of paycheck. |
| Doc:
Do you know what he earns? |
| Stewart:
I heard some figures, but I don't particularly
care. I'm not too interested in being a bird in a gilded cage. |
| Doc:
Have you had any bad experiences as Stern? |
Stewart:
Yes. Some people can be real rough, whether they
think I'm Stern or not. The  one
moment that sticks out in my mind was when I was on the streets
in NYC looking at some stuff at an outdoor vendors table.
All of a sudden, I hear this soft female voice in back of
me h-o-w-a-r-d,....I thought, "This is where I get shot!".
Well, I was wrong. It was just some attractive woman and she
said, "I just wanted to say, your show is great".
I, as Stern, said "Thank you", and we both went
about our business. That was one of those moments that makes
you think. But I've decided that this is the kind of life
I want to lead. |
| Doc:
Any advice for any other celebrity impersonators? |
| Stewart:
Try not to take yourself too seriously. |
| Doc:
Thanks again Stewart and good luck in your career. You can
check out his official site here
or you can reach him at stewart@brodian.com. |
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