Artie Lange's deepest struggles were kept hidden behind his John Belushi-like persona that shot him to prominence through The Howard Stern Show, a recurring role on MADtv and a No. 1 best-selling book, Too Fat to Fish. At his darkest moment, Lange attempted suicide in 2010. A rejuvenated Lange is back with a nightly radio show, a recently released second memoir, Crash and Burn, and a stand-up tour that stops at the Palace Theatre Nov. 30. We check in with the crass comedian.
On Cleveland // It's a great blue-collar town with my kind of people. They're very loyal, and they love comedy. The Cleveland scene is cool. ... I've always done well there, even before Howard [Stern]. I'm a Browns and Indians guy, and I'd like to see something good happen for them.
On Stand-up // It's the hardest thing to do, but without question, it's the most satisfying. It's like there's a battery in my body. If they don't laugh, it's running low on energy. Each laugh recharges you. It goes right through you.
On His Recovery // My life is insanely different in a great, great way. I'm back and I'm alive. I was in the nuthouse and rehab for a while. And while you're in those places you promise yourself you will never go back there. If you f--- up on that scale, you've got to be ready to face the music. And when you do, people admire it.
