Artie Lange
A brash, self-deprecating comic from New Jersey who became a defining voice of chaos on The Howard Stern Show.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American comedian·Birthday: October 11·Generation X
Biography
Artie Lange's comedy was born from the blue-collar streets of New Jersey, where he worked as a longshoreman and cab driver before risking it all on stand-up. His big break came with a cast spot on 'Mad TV,' but it was his decade as the gruff, vulnerable sidekick on 'The Howard Stern Show' that cemented his place in pop culture. Lange's humor was a raw, often painful blend of confessional storytelling about addiction, family, and his own misadventures, delivered with a weary, everyman charm. His public struggles with substance abuse became intertwined with his persona, leading to a career marked by dramatic highs and very public lows. Despite it all, he maintained a loyal following who saw in his unvarnished honesty a reflection of their own flaws.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Artie was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Artie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Artie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a main cast member on the sketch comedy series 'Mad TV' for two seasons.
- Was a regular contributor on 'The Howard Stern Show' for nearly a decade, becoming a fan favorite.
- Starred in the film 'The Bachelor' alongside Chris O'Donnell and Renée Zellweger.
- Authored the New York Times bestselling memoir 'Too Fat to Fish.'
Did You Know?
He initially worked on the docks in New Jersey to support his family after his father was injured.
Lange famously lived in a small apartment in New York's Greenwich Village for years, even during his peak fame.
He is a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees.
His mother, Judy, was a school lunch lady.
“I'm not a comedian who does drugs. I'm a drug addict who does comedy.”
