Howard Stern surprised his fans on Wednesday.
He is returning to SiriusXM for an unplanned live show. This breaks his summer silence just weeks before he was expected to return. The move came shortly after prevailing rumors that The Howard Stern Show might be cancelled when his contract comes to an end later this year.
The 71-year-old radio icon had been on vacation since June. He was supposed to resume his broadcasts next month. But instead of tuning in for a repeat, listeners were surprised to hear Stern live on air with Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich for enjoyment.
On-air, the two paid tribute to legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne. They looked back on last month’s Back to the Beginning tribute concert, which was billed as Osbourne’s final performance. Ulrich performed at the concert. On the other hand, Stern said he felt “profoundly sad” about Osbourne’s passing.
While his return had made his fans happy, Stern brushed off speculation related to his appearance in recent media reports. A story in The U.S. Sun had quoted unnamed sources claiming SiriusXM might not meet Stern’s financial expectations when his current $500 million, five-year contract expires in the fall. Stern has been partnering with SiriusXM since 2006, after years of dominance in traditional radio.
During the surprise show, Stern and Ulrich announced SiriusXM’s upcoming Maximum Metallica channel, which will start on August 29. To celebrate, Metallica will perform a special concert on August 28 at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York. Subscribers can listen to this exclusive concert on September 1 at 12 p.m. ET.
