Ronnie Benjamin, the Howard Stern personality known to millions of listeners as Big Black, died of natural causes from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the condition in which fatty plaque accumulates inside the artery walls. He was 64.
Word of his death emerged on Saturday, October 3, 2026, and with it came an account of his final weeks from a longtime friend and fellow member of Stern's Wack Pack, Lawrence Coward.
Coward, whom Stern dubbed the "King of All Blacks," told TMZ that he and Benjamin spoke by telephone two weeks before Benjamin died. During that conversation, Coward said, Benjamin sounded "fine" and came across as the same "depressed" person he had always been, with nothing suggesting anything out of the ordinary.
According to Coward, Benjamin placed the call to ask whether Coward would join him for an upcoming live YouTube discussion aimed at fans of the Stern show. The two men had appeared alongside Howard Stern and his sidekick, Robin Quivers, on "The Howard Stern Show" years earlier, where they recounted their funny yet chaotic life experiences.
Coward also recalled the two of them joking around during that final phone conversation. Benjamin, he said, laughed the way he always did and was even "extra giggly." Coward told TMZ that Benjamin gave no indication he was suffering from any health issues.
Before the call ended, Coward said he would get back to Benjamin about the YouTube appearance. When he tried, his call went straight to Benjamin's voicemail.
Coward told TMZ that he soon began receiving calls from concerned parties asking about Benjamin, which prompted him to call and text his friend to check whether he was okay. No return call or text message ever came.
Benjamin's death was reported on October 3, 2026, at 5:03 a.m. PDT.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
