Big Black, a longtime member of Howard Stern’s Wack Pack, has died at 64.
The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said on Friday that Ronnie Benjamin — the Bronx-born radio personality known by his on-air moniker — died from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The cause of death is considered natural, and the office did not provide additional details about when or where he passed.
Benjamin earned his place in Stern’s famed Wack Pack in 2006 after multiple lengthy appearances on the shock jock’s show. He was frequently paired with Lawrence Coward, whom Stern dubbed the “King of All Black,” and became known for his sharp back-and-forth with Stern’s longtime sidekick, Robin Quivers.
The late personality was also a member of Mensa, the elite high-IQ society, a biographical detail that stood in contrast to the deliberately absurd persona cultivated by the Wack Pack ensemble.
Benjamin returned to Stern’s program in 2011 after a five-year absence, offering a candid update on his circumstances during the interview. He told Stern he’d “been hanging in my bunker in the South Bronx.”
He revealed he’d taken a brief security job at Yankee Stadium but had since gone on unemployment, which he planned to keep collecting. To stay visible, he’d “been making YouTube videos” in hopes of getting “out there.”
The interview took a raw turn when Benjamin discussed personal setbacks. He shared that he’d recently lost his virginity, rating the experience “about a 7 or so. Nothing really great,” He added that the woman had declined a second date, giving him “kind of an excuse deal.”
“Right now, I’d say I have no friends,” he said during the appearance. He ended the segment with a bleak declaration: “I hate the world, man. That’s how it is.”
Stern’s Wack Pack has served as a rotating cast of eccentric regulars throughout his decades on air, with members often defined by their unconventional personalities and willingness to discuss intimate or uncomfortable details of their lives on broadcast. Benjamin’s candor about isolation and frustration fit that mold precisely.
A representative for Stern did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment on Friday evening.
The death comes as Stern, 71, navigates other professional turbulence. Former assistant Leslie Kuhn has made toxic workplace allegations against the radio host, claims that have drawn attention alongside his recent confirmation of a streaming deal with HBO Max to condense his show into a series format.
Benjamin’s final known public remarks through Stern’s platform captured a man simultaneously reaching for connection and resigned to alienation — making videos to “publicize” himself while stating plainly that he had no friends. The contradiction lingered in the air of his last documented appearance, unresolved.
The Wack Pack has lost several members over the years as Stern’s show has spanned generations of listeners, with each departure prompting retrospectives on the particular brand of unfiltered humanity the ensemble brought to satellite and terrestrial radio alike.