Gary Dell'Abate

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Gary 'Baba Booey' Dell'Abate

Gary 'Baba Booey' Dell'Abate
Born:	March 14, 1961 (age 46) Uniondale, New York
Occupation:	Radio Producer
Spouse:	Mary Dell'abate
Children:	Jackson, Lucas
Website:	www.howardstern.com

Gary Patrick Dell'Abate (born March 14, 1961) is the producer of The Howard Stern Show and co-host of The Wrap-Up Show.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Howard Stern Show 1.3 Anecdotes 1.4 Baba Booey 1.5 Baba Booey variations 1.6 Other Non-Baba Booey Nicknames 1.7 References in popular culture 1.8 Song parodies 1.9 Notable Stern Show events 1.10 Personal life 2 Footnotes 3 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New York, on Long Island, to parents Sal, an ice cream salesman. As a child, he was molested by a babysitter who promised him chocolate if they would engage in sexual activity. He attended Adelphi University where he interned at several college radio stations. While interning with Roz Frank, a traffic reporter on WNBC, he came into contact with Howard Stern, who took pity on him for the way he was treated.

[edit] Howard Stern Show

Dell'Abate has worked on The Howard Stern Show since September 4, 1984: originally on 66 WNBC, then syndicated at K-Rock in New York, and now Sirius Satellite Radio.

His nickname is Baba Booey (sometimes misspelled Ba Ba Booey or other variants) and is frequently used on Stern's show, as well as sometimes shouted by fans when they call into other radio or television shows (generally to the irritation of other hosts - see below). Most recently, Howard Stern has considered changing his nickname to "Mac Hine," due to Gary's mispronunciation of "machine" during an alleged IQ test. Despite the seemingly relentless jokes, pranks and taunts at Dell'Abate's expense, Stern readily acknowledges Dell'Abate's intelligence, organizational abilities, excellent memory and strong work ethic.

[edit] Anecdotes

Dell'Abate is mocked on the Stern Show for having large teeth, big lips and bad breath. A related point of ridicule is the speech pattern in which he turns "s" into "f". Fans also mock Dell'Abate - one fan used to wear a gorilla mask to Gary's public appearances as well as make his own animation cels featuring Baba Booey. In particular, fellow Stern Show staff member Sal the Stockbroker has routinely mocked and tortured Gary with prank calls, various song parodies, and a near infinite number of jokes. Gary was often also forced to wear a beekeeper's mask while holding the microphone for Stern show guests.

Gary is also often mocked for his yo-yo dieting. He has attributed his bouts with weight gain to his love of chocolate. He is also an on-again, off-again cigarette smoker. He is also often made fun of for enjoying having his ass licked.^[1]

A fan created a likeness of Gary, the "Gary Puppet", which is now stationed in the Howard Stern Show studio and equipped with a mechanism to cause its comically oversized mouth to move whenever Gary speaks to Howard through the studio intercom. The puppet seems to be one of Stern's most prized possessions, possibly due to his fondness for Gary.

[edit] Baba Booey

Previously nicknamed "Boy Gary", Dell'Abate's "Baba Booey" moniker originated on the Howard Stern Show in 1989, after telling a story of his prized collection of animation cels. In the course of discussing a Quick Draw McGraw cel he might purchase, he misstated the name of McGraw's sidekick "Baba Looey" as "Baba Booey" (In actuality, Gary was not entirely wrong when he referred to "Baba Booey". Quickdraw McGraw frequently referred to Baba Looey as "Baba Boy", which tended to sound like "Baba Booey" and could easily be misunderstood). As is typical of the show, the rest of the cast "goofed" on his mistake, becoming especially merciless since he was mulling the purchase of a cel of a character without even knowing the character's correct name. Dell'Abate said something to the effect that they would forget the name by the next day, yet after nearly two decades it is still his nickname.

Dell'Abate has often recounted that people unfamiliar with the Stern show think "Baba Booey" is his real name. A frequent guest on the TV game show The Hollywood Squares, Dell'Abate was sometimes just called "Bob" or "Baba" by unknowing contestants.

"Baba Booey" as a term has become a mantra for fans of the Howard Stern Show and is often used as a tag for crank calls to live network television or radio broadcasts. For specific examples, see References in popular culture below.

[edit] Baba Booey variations

Depending on the context, variations of Gary's nickname are used (i.e. if Gary makes a mistake, he is likely to be called "Rara Retard", if the discussion is about dental procedures, "Tata Toothy"). The following list is by no means comprehensive; if the first syllable of the nickname is repeated twice, the person under discussion is inevitably Gary.

• Fafa Flo Fly
• Fafa Fohai
• Fafa Fooey
• Fafa Feeho
• Fafa Flunky
• Fafa Flowy
• Fo Foohey
• Ga Ga Gowey
• Haha Hooey
• Haha Hoohah
• Bam Bam Bigelow
• Mama Monkey
• Mama Mo-Hi
• Mama Mia
• Rara Retard
• Tata Toothy
• Oh Ba Woo Bah
• Dada Dummy
• Pa pa Puppet (Gary puppet)
• Lala Loosey
• Lala Loser
• Papa Pia
• Sasa Stupid
• Sasa Stupidhead
• Sasa Smelly
• Baba Bobo Fooey
• Boba Fett
• Battered Booey (coined by Jackie Martling) after Gary said he was like a battered wife who keeps coming back for more ridicule by Howard and crew (after El Paso news conference)
• Blaba Booey (coined by Fred Norris)
• Baba Yenta (coined by Fred Norris)
• Baba Buzz Kill (coined by Howard Stern)
• Baba Bad News (coined by David Spade)
• Fafa Foodey (coined by Robin Quivers)
• Fafa Felon (coined by Lee Mroszak aka Crazy Cabbie during the 'Get John's Job Contest' on April 29, 2004)
• Bla Bla Blooey (coined by Fred Norris, who blames him for revealing the secret of Fred changing his name to "Eric", on November 13, 2006)
• Bla Bla Blabbermouth (coined when Dell'Abate forgot what Fred had initially called him [Bla Bla Booey] & inadvertently coined an even better nickname)
• BaBa Gooey (Coined by Fred Norris on the Revelations Show when it was assumed Dell'Abate was the owner of Artie Lange's Revelation"
• Baba Butting In (coined by Artie Lange on December 14, 2006)
• Osama bin Booey (coined by Howard Stern shortly after 9/11 after noting that Gary could be mistaken for being of Arab descent)

[edit] Other Non-Baba Booey Nicknames

• Horse Tooth Jackass, or HTJ
• Bucky Beaver (coined by Riley Martin)
• Mac-Hine (pronounced "Mack Hine" - was created after Gary failed an on-air word game challenge where a caller asked what "m-a-c (pause) h-i-n-e" spells on November 7, 2006)
• Mama Mac-Hine
• Boy Gary
• Tuckleberry
• Beaver Teeth (also coined by Riley Martin)

[edit] References in popular culture

The Bloodhound Gang's song Why's Everybody Always Picking On Me? samples Dell'Abate's 1989 original "Baba Booey" quote.

During CBS News coverage of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, prank caller Captain Janks told Dan Rather that they had found Baba Booey's teeth in the wreckage.

During the OJ Simpson low-speed chase, "Baba Booey" was spoken at the end of a prank phone call to signal the newscaster, Peter Jennings, that he had been fooled. An oblivious Jennings had to be told it was a phony call by fellow broadcaster and Monday Night Football host Al Michaels.

On their final album, The Jerky Boys featured a prank call (titled "Bright") wherein Johnny Brennan — using his Sol Rosenberg voice — called a hair salon claiming to be "Gary Dell'Abate's mom". The call featured Brennan growing increasingly hysterical and accusing the stylists of ruining Gary's haircut "just to make fools of him" and that "he has enough problems with that mouth of his" as well as "his face and his fat ass." The phone call finally ended when Brennan threatened to find Bright (the eponymous stylist of the call) and "kick [her] in the cunt" for what she had done to "my beautiful, horse-faced boy".

Dell'Abate was once portrayed by Adam Sandler in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. In the sketch Michael McKean portrayed Howard Stern and Ellen Cleghorne portrayed Robin Quivers.

In the Family Guy episode Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington, Peter has a flashback in which he is giving testimony at the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings. When it becomes evident that Peter's testimony is false, he grabs the microphone and begins shouting, "Baba Booey! Baba Booey! Howard Stern’s penis! Baba Booey! Baba Booey!"

[edit] Song parodies

Dell'Abate is the subject of more song parodies than any other topic on the Stern Show. Most of the songs involve melodically repeating one of Dell'Abate's nicknames over and over (usually Ba-Ba-Booey), although some contain actual lyrics, most of which insult Dell'Abate's appearance.

• "A Horse With No Name" by America as "Boy with Horse Teeth"
• "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
• "Ba-Ba- Booey" by Wesley Willis
• "The CHiPs Theme"
• "Crosstown Traffic" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson
• "The Downeaster Alexa" by Billy Joel
• "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
• "The Entertainment Tonight Theme"
• "The Flintstones Theme"
• "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group
• "Gold Digger" by Kanye West
• "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
• "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin
• "The Imperial March" by John Williams, the Darth Vader Theme
• "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath
• "Jeannie" by Hugo Montenegro, the I Dream of Jeannie Theme
• "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie
• "Macarena" by Los del Río
• "Marguerite" by Dead Eye Dick
• "Me & Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin as "Baba Booey"
• "The Monday Night Football Theme"
• "The Munsters Theme"
• "Party Up" by DMX
• "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire
• "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake
• "The Star Wars Theme" by John Williams
• "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles
• "Take On Me" by a-ha
• "These Boots are Made for Walking" by Nancy Sinatra as "These Teeth are Made for Chomping"
• "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra as "Those Teeth"
• "Unskinny Bop" by Poison
• "Waste Another Yesterday" by Killingbird
• "We've Got the Beat" by The Go Go's as "He's Got Big Teeth"
• "White Room" by Cream
• "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Led Zeppelin
• "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones

[edit] Notable Stern Show events

In 1988, Dell'Abate made a videotaped bid to win back an ex-girlfriend, which came to light in the late 1990s when an ex-boyfriend of the woman called Howard's show claiming to have seen the tape. On the tape, Gary frequently refers to his ex as "man" (e.g., "I miss you, man"), states that his professional life is a 9 (pronounced like "noin") while his personal life is at a 2, and since their split, she has gained a lover and a best friend while he has gained a couple of lovers but has no friends. He also points out that his hair had grown longer during their time apart and that he is wearing his favorite t-shirt, one he often wore while they were together. Such proclamations invited much ridicule from Stern fans and regulars, and snippets of the audio from the tape became oft-used soundbites on the show. While his bid to win back his lady love proved successful, they ultimately broke up for good the following year. He was paid over $25,000 by members of Stern's audience and staff to hand over the tape.

Dell'Abate's contribution to The Revelations Game, announced on January 16, 2006, was that he and a friend of his once paid massage girls to come to their hotel room, but that the girls ended up ripping the two off and left them staring at each other in their underwear. The Stern Show staff roundly criticized Dell'Abate for this sub-par revelation.

Dell'Abate is a devotee of 1980s music, and he sometimes plays "Stump the Booey", an Eighties music trivia game, usually beating his competitor.

Dell'Abate has sung songs on the show written by Fred Norris, in which he ridicules himself for his work habits, eating habits, bad breath and large teeth.

During a hallway fight between A.J. Benza and Stuttering John Melendez, Dell'Abate was accidentally punched in the face while trying to keep the two apart.

On the March 28, 2006 show, Dell'Abate was inadvertently squirted in the eye by a stream of female ejaculate during a segment in which a woman used various high-powered tools to achieve orgasm. Discussion ensued on whether the fluid was actually different from urine, and concerned callers raised the possibility of it containing HIV.

On October 26th, 2006, Gary Become the second regular Stern Show personality, after Artie Lange, to be roasted. The Roast Master was the Reverend Bob Levy.

[edit] Personal life

In 1992, Dell'Abate married his current wife Mary. The couple live in Greenwich, Connecticut^[2] with their two sons, Jackson and Lucas. Jackson has now made at least one appearance on Howard 100 News, where he indicated that his father can ski.

After Gary's brother, Steven, died of AIDS in January 1991, Dell'Abate became a supporter of LIFEbeat The Music Industry Fights AIDS^[3] and serves on the charity's Board of Directors.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Howard Stern Official Web Site
• Howard Stern Fans
• LIFEbeat The Music Industry Fights AIDS Board of Directors
• Gary Dell'Abate at the Internet Movie Database
• The infamous "Bababooey"/ OJ chase call made to Peter Jennings
• Howard.tv
• Sample Baba Booey spoof song to "Take on Me" by A-Ha

The Howard Stern Show
Cast	Howard Stern • Robin Quivers • Artie Lange • Fred Norris • Gary Dell'Abate • Benjy Bronk • Richard Christy • Sal the Stockbroker • J. D. Harmeyer • Scott Salem • Jon Hein • Will Murray • Jason Kaplan • George Takei • Ronnie Mund • Ralph Cirella
Former Cast	Billy West • Jackie Martling • Stuttering John • K. C. Armstrong • Tom Chiusano • A. J. Benza
The Wack Pack	Beetlejuice • Eric the Midget • Miss Howard Stern • High Pitch Eric • Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf • Riley Martin • Siobhan Meow • Jeff the Drunk • More...
Howard Channels	Bubba the Love Sponge Show • Scott Ferrall • The Wrap-Up Show • Howard 100 News • Superfan Roundtable • More...
See Also	Show Celebrity Guests • Show Games and Bits • Sirius Satellite Radio • Sirius Canada