Ralph Cirella Dies: Howard Stern Longtime Stylist, Friend And Radio Show Contributor Was 58

Source: deadline.com

By Greg Evans

Ralph Cirella, Howard Stern’s close friend and longtime stylist who made frequent appearances as a contributor to Stern’s radio show, died yesterday after a battle with a rare lymphoma. He was 58

An emotional Stern made the announcement today on his SiriusXM radio show. Stern said Cirella’s “heart gave out” Tuesday morning during a procedure as he was being treated for the lymphoma.

“I just have been so sad and so angry,” Stern continued. “He didn’t take care of himself.”

“I will miss him terribly,” Stern said on the episode largely devoted to remembrances of Cirella, adding “I can’t believe we’re saying it, but this guy was my man and he’s like the brother I never had.”

“I think this is the toughest part of loving someone — when you lose them,” Stern said. “Lord knows I loved Ralph. My wife said to me last night, ‘You and Ralph have a secret language’ and it’s true … we had a great chemistry, and we had a great friendship, and Ralph was one of my bros. In fact, I came to think of Ralph as family.”

Cirella first called into Stern’s WNBC show in 1985 with his mother, and eventually was hired to do special effects on Stern’s late-night variety program The Channel 9 Show. “He was a tremendously talented guy,” Stern said. “Ralph would make these elaborate prosthetics like in the movies or like on Saturday Night Live and he’d do them for zero money.”

Read more at: https://deadline.com/2023/12/ralph-cirella-dead-1235655155/