Radio icon Howard Stern received heartbreaking news with the passing of his longtime “super agent” Don Buchwald. Buchwald, who also represented Stern’s radio partner Robin Quivers and other notable entertainment figures, was 88 years old. He passed away from natural causes on Monday at his home in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
Buchwald had been Stern’s agent, manager, and publicist since the early 1980s, playing a pivotal role in securing Stern’s lucrative contracts with SiriusXM, including a deal signed in 2015 that pays Stern $90 million per year. According to TMZ, Stern was Buchwald’s most personal and significant client, often referring to him on the air as his “super agent.”
Recalling their first meeting, Stern shared with the New York Times in a 2018 interview, “We sat down in his office and we talked for an hour. He turned to me and said, ‘You know, your career could be as big as Johnny Carson’s.’ I thought this guy might be a little bit nuts. But he believed in me from the very beginning, more than I believed in myself.”
Beyond Stern, Buchwald represented a range of talent, including Kathleen Turner, Ralph Macchio, Ali MacGraw, and Geoffrey Holder. Buchwald’s daughter, Julia, expressed her commitment to continuing her father’s legacy, saying, “I promised my father that the incredible agency he built from the ground up 47 years ago will not only continue to flourish but will evolve as we forge our path ahead. I, along with my devoted teammates, intend to keep this promise and make Don proud.”
Stern, currently off the air and on vacation, has not yet commented publicly on Buchwald’s passing, according to PennLive.com.
