We were glad to talk to Howard Stern yesterday to hear the truth about why he couldn't attend services for Salvatore Dell'Abate, father of his longtime producer, Gary.

Stern told us: "Gary is one of my dearest friends. I'm taking the death of his father very hard. We're all taking it very hard - he was a great guy.

"The day of the viewing, it was from 7 to 9 p.m., my girlfriend [Beth Ostrosky] was getting dressed, and when she went downstairs at 5:20, she fell down six steps. She was crying hysterically and had to be rushed to the hospital. She'd fractured the top of her foot and tore all the ligaments in her foot. She had to be put in bed with her leg elevated, and now she has a boot and crutches, but I couldn't just dump her in the hospital.

"And besides, it was too late to make it anyway. The viewing was for only two hours and we were on our way - of course we were on our way. I called Gary 97 times during all this."

Rush Molloy