From the Archives: Howard Stern Wack Packer Kenneth Keith Kallenbach
Dan Gross reports that Boothwyn’s Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, a comedian and musician best known as one of Howard Stern’s longest-serving Wack Pack members, has died in a Chester County hospital. Details are still sketchy, but Kallenbach had apparently contracted pneumonia in jail while being held on attempted child-abduction charges.
Kallenbach (pictured with fellow Wack Packer Tom “Captain Janks” Cipriano) played a supporting role in a piece on Stern by then-Philadelphia staff writer Larry Platt in February 1994. Here’s a taste:
Kenneth Keith Kallenbach wrote to Stern in 1990, saying he could blow smoke through his eyes. Stern had him on his syndicated TV show, and Kallenbach, holding his nose, tried mightily until he puked before the nation. That led, of course, to eight more appearances.
“This one time, I wore a cup, you know, an athletic supporter,” he says in a gravely, hazy voice right out of Cheech and Chong. “And I stuck a firecracker down the bottom of my fly, and when I was blowing smoke through my eyes, I reached down there and lit it. And then I pulled out some blueberries that I bought because I thought it would be funny to smoosh them in my face and then I pulled out a piece of chicken from my pocket and started eating it.”
Since then, he once got motivated enough to send out letters to entertainment agents but, so far, he’s not had the luck of [Captain] Janks or [”Stuttering John”] Melendez. But he’s got big plans: “I could do movies or I could do stand-up,” he says in the slow drawl of someone who smoked pot every day for ten years (he quit altogether four months ago — “alls I do now is drink beers”). “I’d really rather do movies or TV.”
Who knows? Given the success of Janks and Melendez, Kenneth Goes to College at a theater near you might not be that farfetched. In fact, Stern has said on the air that Kallenbach is a real-life version of Beavis and Butt-head, and Kallenbach eagerly agrees: “A couple people have told me that that guy Butt-head on MTV looks like Howard Stern. And, you know, I kind of look like Beavis. So me and Howard are like Beavis and Butt-head. I’ve never told him that, man. You should write that in your article, too, just to be funny. Say that’s what I was thinking, or somethin’.”
Read the complete “Howard’s Beginning” in our archives.
Photo: Walter Smith, from the February 1994 issue of Philadelphia magazine
April 24th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
The real story to the death was that he was denied his medication for cistic fibrosis when he was in jail that caused his pneumina. The first syptom of not taking medication for cistic fibrosis is fluid in the lungs. There are prisoners and guards that would testify to this. The allegations of child abduction were false and he would have been released. The girl who’s name I am not aloud to release recanted half her testimony in court he was being held in jail for probation violation until the court case was over. The girl was 17 and had been in and out of trouble with the law the last 4 years and was after sewing Ken civily after she found out who he was. I would like to get this information out so he can rest in peace and the proper people who caused his death get investigated. I have more info if you are willing to do this for me. I knew Ken for 25 years and I would like for this story to get out to the public.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
You Hanna … you should go back to school and learn a bit of the english language, before you write a report. Just sayin;…
April 24th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
For what’s it’s worth, Brian Hanna, I believe you. It’s very sad. I hope that there is an investigation into how he died. Someone so young, just doesn’t die so quickly and suddenly like that. I didn’t know that he had cystic fibrosis. It sounds reasonable to me thathe died because his medication was withheld.
RIP Kenneth. You made me laugh.
Oh, and to Howard Ster Fan, it’s spelled Stern.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I ate Kallenbach’s ass one time and loved it.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:48 am
“You Hanna … you should go back to school and learn a bit of the english language, before you write a report. Just sayin;…”
Allow me to correct your English:
You, Hanna, should go back to school and learn a bit of the English language before you write a report.
Only an idiot would chastise someone for poor grammar with poor grammar. That is not to mention the fact that you completely ignored the substance of his post.
My condolences to the Kallenbach family. I wish the luck with their presumable lawsuit.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Hey Brian!
You seem to know Ken really well! I think I did too. We spoke everyday. Your story is the right one and I hope people hear the truth. He was not able to keep his normal regime for his condition and obviously did not get the care he needed. It is really disgusting and sad. No one should have to suffer alone in jail sick…How horrible! I agree that he did not do what the girl alledged. He should be honored for having an illness and accomplishing all he did in life. Kind of Amazing really when most people with cystic fibrosis never live past children.
Thanks for telling the story.
Scallops
April 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I am sorry to had so many grammar errors on my first report Professor. If I known I was going to be graded on it I would have double checked my writing or did a spell and grammar check. Your such an ass. I was just getting the truth out there. I have a double bachlor degree if I was worried about grammar I would have taken my time and made sure it was right. Make sure you grade this one too.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
This is so funny. Grammar mistakes are being made in the responses where people have tried to fix their mistakes but have made new ones. “If I known”…if I’d have known and “Your such an ass”…You’re such an ass.
Hilarious….keep up the good work.
My condolences to the Kallenback family.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I am also saddened by Ken’s passing. I remember him being at my house New Years Eve back in the mid 90’s. He actually gave me a cassette tape of his original recordings including I got beers…etc. We also played guitar together that evening. Although many people thought him to be odd, he certainly made the best of his short life. He was also very succesfull at doing exactly what he wanted to do. Rest in Peace Ken.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
brian hanna, is there anyway i can get in contact with you? i’d like to hear more about what happened, seriously, i posted your story comment on the phillygossip page to help get the truth out, i knew this charge had to be b.s., get back to me bro, much respect, kenny was/is the man, i’m a big fan of his R.I.P. bro
April 26th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
39 is a very long life for someone with cystic fibrosis who smokes and drinks. I agree with “Fan” about the writing — what does this guy have a “double degree” in, landscaping and bricklaying? This guy made you laugh, but let’s not make him a saint. He didn’t appear to do what he needed to do for his health for one day and you guys helped him make a living at it.
April 26th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
You killed Kenny. All you Stern fans. Reality check: the first symptom of not taking cystic fibrosis medication is not “fluid in the lungs.” Fluid in the lungs is a possible symptom of pneumonia for any reason. I’m not defending the prison, but come on.
With his DUIs, his lifestyle of smoking and partying, his severe illness, it’s a miracle he lived that long.
April 26th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
There’s harmless pranks and then there’s helping someone kill themselves and the Stern show has always had a hard time seeing the difference.
April 26th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Well maybe the truth will come out. They finally ordered a autopsy to find out the cause of death. The problem now is that the Delaware county medical examiner is doing the autopsy. Seems like a conflict of interest since it he died in the delaware county prison and if any lawsuit comes from this Delaware county would be the one that the family would sue. I have been discussing these issues with Kens mom and we will work on having her lawyer have another medical examiner there too. To Mario you can e-mail me at brianh68@comcast.net
April 28th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I believe the truth will come out. Delaware County Prison is notorious for mistreating inmates. Perhaps this will be the straw that broke the camels back and that godforsaken place will be shut down. Upper Chichester Police should be investigated and taken to task as well. I’m quite sure they jumped to conclusions and initiated a haphazard half-assed investigation.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Hey Frank we know that is the truth. He only got probation when he got pulled over for not having in his breath interlock and they were pushing for 12 months jailtime and his lawyer got him probation so Upper Chichester police dept railroaded him for the false abduction accusations and got them printed on the front page of Daily times. We know how they do that don’t we. When he got bailed out for them they contacted his probation officer and he had 5 days left on probation so they threw him back in prison for probation violation and refused to let him out on house arrest after Ken called his mother to try to get him out because they would not give him his meds. Ken went to school with his probation officers wife and he flirted with her at their latest class renunion and he (Probation officer) had his own personal problems with ken. That was conflict of interest and he should have never been aloud to be his Probation officer. There was alot of crooked things that attributed to Kens death. Hope to see you tommorow at his viewing.
Skip H
April 29th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Hi Skip-
Wow, that is some great knowledge! All of this is so disheartening. I hope Hanna is right and that they got another opinion on the autopsy. I can not attent the viewing, but hope that you guys will keep us posted on the happenings. I talked to ken everyday and all of this is just such a shock, it is nice to be able to blog with people who knew him too. Thanks for all the updates. It means alot.
Scallops
April 29th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
yo brian hanna did you get my email? it was from a body shop address, its my work, get back to me bro
April 29th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Its not the first time that someone died at ccp. I was there at least 6 times and each of my visits to the hotelsomeone has passed away just due 2 medication
May 17th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
kenny was a lazy, stupid, no talent drug addict desperate for attention. he wasn’t a stern “sidekick”, just someone who appeared on the show a couple times. big deal. howard exploits idiots like him and makes millions. meanwhile ken was a 39 year broke asshole still living with his mother. to those who met him in his hometown in boothwyn, he was nothing but a stuck up dickhead who thought that his couple of appearences on howards show (15+ years ago) made him a star. he was also manipulative ass who faked being nieve for attention. his friends like skipper (brian h.) know what i am saying is true, even if they won’t admit it.
he biggest claim to fame is that he threw up while trying to blow smoke out his eye. then when he desperatly wanted to be on the show again, he had to resort to cutting off his hair & eating it just to get howard to let him appear again.
big star that kenny keith kallenbach.
yeah, right.