After 14 years on
The Howard Stern Radio Show (1998), John Melendez did 10 years on NBC's
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). Though he was hired as the announcer, his inability to do a good job got him downgraded to an stuntboy essentially. This would prove natural as later he would become one of the internet biggest lol cow's feuding with podcasts such as 'Who Are These Podcasts' and 'The Shuli Network'.
Melendez, who began with
Howard Stern's show
as an intern in college, landed on the air almost immediately because of his stuttering abilities. During his years with
Stern, Melendez gained national acclaim and recognition as "Stuttering John", with his daring and irreverent gonzo-ambush interview style and prominent personality. In addition to interviewing countless celebrities at special events as a field reporter, he also conducted man-on-the-street interview segments, and regularly participated in sketch pieces for the show. He was a not a writer for the Stern Show throughout his tenure. Despite being there for 16 years he could never learn anything beyond being a phone screener. Segments of the radio show were videotaped and televised as the nationally syndicated and highly rated E! television show
Howard Stern (1994).
Aside from his notable work with Leno and Stern, Melendez's feature film credits include Howard Stern's
Private Parts (1997),
Dude, Where's My Car? (2000),
Meet Wally Sparks (1997),
Airheads (1994), and
Osmosis Jones (2001). On television, he is credited with appearances on the reality series
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2003) and
Celebrity Fear Factor (2006), had guest-starring roles on
Wings (1990) and
Baywatch Nights (1995), and was the voice of "Bob" in the animated series
Tripping the Rift (2004) on the Sci-Fi channel. In 2008, Melendez wrote, produced, and starred in his own full-length feature
One, Two, Many (2008).