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George Harvey (aka "Crackhead Bob") appears onstage during his last KROQ show December 16, 2005 in New York City.

(Bryan Bedder)

George Harvey -- aka "Crackhead Bob" from "The Howard Stern Show" -- has died at the age of 56.

TMZ reports that Harvey was hospitalized in Texas two days before he was found dead in his apartment. The cause of death is not yet known.

A legendary member of Stern's Wack Pack, Harvey came to prominence on the show in the mid-'90s. His slurred speech, which the show capitalized on through prank calls and other gags, was a result of several strokes that left Harvey paralyzed after smoking crack.



From the moment he first appeared on the show, "Crackhead Bob" became fan favorite and his camaraderie with Stern and the rest of the on-air talent was easily apparent. "He was a huge champion of our show," Stern said on his web site Monday.

Stern show producer Gary Dell'Abate also expressed his condolences. "I really liked him a lot. He talked about how bad and mean he was before the stroke but I had a hard time believing that guy existed. He was really the nicest guy you ever met. ...I'll miss you Bob," he said.



Harvey's death comes in the wake of sad passings of Stern show regulars and Wack Packers. In the past 18 months, Eric the Actor, Riley Martin and Johnny Fratto have all passed away.



Anthony Venutolo may be reached at avenutolo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyVenutolo and Google+. Find NJ.com on Facebook.