Gary Dell’Abate’s List-Filled Autobiography ‘They Call Me Baba Booey’ Turns 10 Years Old

A decade ago this month, Gary Dell’Abate released “They Call Me Baba Booey.” On Tuesday morning, the Stern Show celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the executive producer’s infamous memoir.

“Gary’s book, to me, is maybe the greatest embarrassment of this show’s history,” Howard said with a chuckle before bringing the staffer on the air to discuss it.

“I’ve always found Gary’s book very irritating because I really felt Gary didn’t have much to say,” Howard continued. “You know I respect you, you know I like you personally … but when it comes to this book it’s a fucking nightmare.”

Gary told Howard he made a conscious decision to focus on his own life rather than include any Stern Show gossip. “The bulk of the book is about my brother, my mom,” he said. “I could’ve got triple the money … I got approached to write about what goes on in the green room and I was like, ‘Yeah, I have to go back to work.’”

“You couldn’t really say anything juicy, so you made lists,” Howard pointed out before goofing on him for including everything from “Gary’s Reverse Bucket List”—which Gary couldn’t even remember writing—to “Gary’s Greatest AM Radio Hits in the ‘70s.”

“What drove me crazy about the book is, who cares what Gary’s favorite songs are?” Howard asked.

“If you buy the book, you’re buying into Gary. Once you’ve bought into Gary, you get his whole world,” Gary said. “It’s not a book of lists, it’s just a book with a lot of lists,” he later added.

Howard could only scratch his head after playing a clip from “They Call Me Baba Booey’s” audiobook in which Gary struggled to explain why Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”—a song he didn’t even like—was one of the all-time best jukebox songs. Howard also played clips from an old Stern Show where co-host Robin Quivers laughed hysterically after hearing the portion of Gary’s audiobook where he tried to explain the evolution of the Beatles. Hearing the clip again on Tuesday, Robin cracked up once more.

“This is the sound I imagine if you were to get Robin in the bedroom, and you pull down your pants, and you have a little dick—this is exactly what I imagine hearing,” Gary said of his colleague’s laugh.

Howard had heard enough. “Hey anyway, congratulations on the book, Gary!” he concluded before kindly asking everyone to never bring up “They Call Me Baba Booey” again. “It gets me worked up … if we’re here for the 20th anniversary, don’t mark it.”