He's Fred. Fred. Fred. Wonderful Fred. And for many fans of The Howard Stern Show, he's one of the best parts of the program. While Howard has done an incredible job making many of his show's staffers famous, Fred stands out. This is partly because Fred is the longest-tenured Stern Show staffers, beating out producer Gary 'Ba Ba Booey' Dell'Abate and even co-host Robin Quivers by a few years. But mostly fans adore Fred because he's both unpredictable and mysterious.
The head writer, producer, impressionist, and sound effects wiz has been one of the most instrumental parts of the program's success. Even though he's often teased for being somewhat disconnected from reality, there's no doubt he's very much attuned to the rhythm of Howard's insanely successful radio show. But much of what Fred does behind the scenes is a mystery to fans. The same can be said for his accurate net worth and salary. While we do know a bit about how well-paid The Stern Show staffers are, the information available about Fred Norris' net worth and salary is limited. Here's what we do know...
What Is Fred Norris' Salary And Net Worth?
In 2020, fans were blown away by reports that SiriusXM paid Howard Stern's production $500 million for his next five years of programming. While Howard himself gets a big slice of this pie, the rest is delineated among his staffers and production costs. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fred is paid $6 million annually for being the head writer, producer, puppet master, impressionist, and sound effects guru on The Stern Show.
Fred initially started working for Howard in the late 1970s at WCCC-FM in Hartford, Connecticut. However, Fred left Howard's program for a radio job in Springfield, Massatuchets in 1981. During this time, Howard moved over to Washington, D.C., and became a ratings hit. He used his success to sway the radio station (WWDC) to hire Fred back. Since then, Fred has become one of the most important parts of the entire show. So, it's no wonder that his net worth is so large. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fred is worth a whopping $20 million.
But we can't say that this number is entirely accurate. Fred is very quiet about his money and his personal life. So, while this information seems more than plausible, it can't be taken as 100% fact.
Fred is represented by Don Buchwald's talent agency, just like Robin Quivers, Gary Dell'Bate, and Howard himself; although Don personally represents the self-proclaimed King Of All Media. This means that during contract negotiations with Sirius, the agency is firm on making sure each of the key members of The Howard Stern Show is paid appropriately and fairly given their positions at the show.
Why Did Fred Norris Change His Name To Eric?
A lot of Fred's past is shrouded in mystery. It's been a source of a lot of comedy on The Howard Stern Show. While the radio host is more than transparent about his personal life, Fred can be a lot cagier. This is because he has been pushed to the brink on several occasions while on air with Howard. While he's calmed in recent years, Fred had a wicked temper in the 1990s. Especially when Howard pushed too hard for him to reveal the darkest parts of his childhood.
So much of the trauma that Fred endured at home was revealed when Howard, Robin, Gary, and ex-co-host Jackie Martling found out that he had legally changed his name from Fred to Eric.
Fred was born 'Fred Leo Nukis' but legally changed his name to 'Eric Fred Norris' in 1993. Of course, Howard and the gang (and even his own wife) have never stopped calling him Fred, which doesn't seem to both him whatsoever. This fact confuses Howard especially given the reason Fred changed his name in the first place.
- Fred claims to have kept 'Fred Norris' as his name because fans wouldn't recognize him as 'Eric Norris'
Fans of The Howard Stern Show have learned that Fred had a terrible relationship with his biological father who he's had no relationship for decades. Instead, Fred found a paternal figure in his stepfather whose surname was 'Norris'. He changed his name from Fred to Eric because his mother originally intended to call him 'Eric' but his biological father didn't allow it.
- Fred has revealed that he has a half-sister from his biological father's secret relationship with his godmother.
- Fred hasn't met his step-sister because of his terrible relationship with both his biological father and step-mother.
Who Is Fred Norris Married To?
Fred may have legally changed his name to 'Eric' but even his wife, Allison Norris, doesn't call him that. Fred famously met Allison Furman in 1987 on The Stern Show during a 'Dial-A-Date' segment. Allison is an actor turned real estate agent who has been recognized for her work all over New York City.
She and Fred have one daughter together, Tess, who was born in 2002.