Open Up Those Pearly Gates: A Huell Howser Memorial Extravaganza

In my mind and and in my heart, there are three men in the entertainment industry that have helped mold my character, spark my imagination, and develop my sense of humor, fun, beauty, and adventure - Walt Disney, Pee-Wee Herman, and Huell Howser.  What might seem like a disparate group of idols at first, begins to make a lot more sense when one realizes that the unifying characteristic of these men was their ability retain the optimism and wonder of child.

Uncle Walt                                                        Pee-Wee

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Huell Howser
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Last week we learned about the death of that legendary broadcaster, Huell Howser; he may not have been world-renowned, but it is hard to find a man more beloved by the Golden State.  He truly embodied the California dream for which so many hope when they come to our state.

Bereft at his passing, we here at wacky tacky headquarters decided to mobilize and create an opportunity for friends and fans of Huell Howser to come together and celebrate his achievements in broadcasting, but even more to celebrate his decency, kindness, and inspiration.  

Huell's shows were about seeking out the odd, interesting, historical, and often overlooked people and landmarks that make California such a wonderful place to live and explore.  With episodes numbering in the hundreds, our choices for a memorial destination were many.  It became clear that the best location for our ceremony would be Philippe's, a historic restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that Huell frequented both on and off camera.

Philippe the Original

With less than a week to prepare, we spread the word about our HH Memorial and switched into high gear to make our plans a reality.

Commemorative buttons were made.

T-shirts were printed

And portraits were lovingly enhanced with colorful pastels.

Normally, when I am in charge of an event, I tend to be a bit of a stress case; Huell's memorial, I decided, needed to be not only stress free, but joyous.  When folks wondered if I had warned Philippe's of our tribute, I decided that the adage of "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission" definitely applied (no stress).  When we pulled into the parking lot and found that the restaurant was packed, I determined we would stake out a spot and just expand our claim as more participants arrived (no stress).  When the large communal tables were populated by strangers, I handed them a button and invited them to join in on the fun (joyous).  I think the spirit of Huell presided over the event and everyone was thrilled to find a place to express their common affection for him.

Erika created our Huell Howser shrine/centerpiece using a vintage California souvenir tablecloth,
Huell's portrait, and fresh flowers.  I'll bet that we are some of the only people in
 Philippe's 104+ year history that set the table using flowers and a real tablecloth!

When our guests arrived, they were offered a "wacky tacky Remembers Huell Howser" button and asked to find a seat among the crowd.  The best part was that people from every facet of my life were represented (coworkers, friends, family, artists, musicians, bloggers, etc.) and the communal tables encouraged everyone to sit with people that they did not necessarily know. 

Tanna, Cary, Cher, Scott, and Marty (Mary's back there too)

Jodi, Teresa, Suzy, and Swimmy

Caitlin, Skip, and Mary

Because it was a fairly-impromptu event, we weren't sure how many people would be able to come.  By the end of it, we had filled eight large tables!  As everyone ate, we proceeded with our program that included extemporaneous remarks, trivia, toasts, and, in true wacky tacky fashion, a singalong.  I wanted to keep it informal so we opened the floor for anyone and everyone to talk about his/her favorite episode, share a Huell-related memory, and give his/her best Huell Howser impression (he had a charming, and heavy, Tennessee accent).

We played some Huell trivia and each winner, including
Steve, received a T-shirt and became "An Official Member
 of the Unofficial Huell Howser Fan Club."

Charles led the toast to Huell's memory.

We toasted using milk from Broguiere's  Dairy;
Huell's image graced many of their bottles.

My favorite part of the day was our singalong.  As I mentioned in our previous post about Huell, every episode of "California's Gold" ended with a version of "California, Here I Come."  You must consider the source here, but it didn't feel the least bit weird to hand out lyric sheets and lead a restaurant full of people in song as Mary accompanied us on ukulele; it felt perfectly natural.

"California, Here I Come"

It might be hard to get from the video, but the room

was filled with love and I could see a couple people 

getting choked up - good thing I was behind the camera.

Riding high on the tide of music and goodwill, Ben and Erika graciously invited everyone over to their house for an after party.

The Huell shrine was part of our traveling show and was only enhanced
by the mid-century ceramics filled with the donut holes provided by Charles.

Cary, Richard, Isaiah, Darla, Lupe, Emily, Mary, and Charles

Uplifted, and still not wanting the good times to end, we had and after-after party by moving our progressive memorial service to a local Thai restaurant.

Jesse, Charles, Emily, Ben, Erika, and Mary.

It is hard to express here, but I was truly moved by the love of everyone who attended.  There are few times in life when we have the chance to be so publicly vulnerable and allow the goodness of humanity to connect us.  I hate to get too sentimental, but I was honored to have the opportunity to host our event and I am extremely grateful for the good friends (and strangers) in attendance.  Even though the circumstances that brought about the occasion were sad, it was a magical day for me and I know we did our best to honor Huell.



Philippe the Original
1001 N Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA
(213)628-3781

www.philippes.com

Having heard of the tremendous response we got from our Huell Howser Memorial, the City of Los Angeles caught on and decided to have their own tribute, as planned by Councilman Tom LaBonge  (okay, okay, so maybe great minds think alike).  The service, held on the steps of the Griffith Observatory, continued the feeling of goodwill that was born just a couple of days prior.  Arriving early to find a place among the thousands of projected attendees, we started to meet other fans and discuss our favorite episodes and compare notes on all of the places we have checked off our Huell-went-there-so-I-went-there-too lists.  I'm glad I remembered to take the rest of our Huell buttons because they were the hit of the day and the gateway into great conversations with new friends.

Our new pal Sharon and Mary showing off
their Huell T-Shirts.

Huell made it quite clear that he did not want any kind of public memorial service.  Obviously, his written wishes weren't enough to stop his legions of friends and loyal fans.

When we arrived, we were two of maybe ten people.
By the time the program began, the whole forecourt of the observatory was packed.

Huell celebrated our entire state, but it was ideal celebrating him with
the Hollywood sign in the distance.

Cynthia gets in the spirit. 

Among the politicians and local leaders,
Anne Marie Johnson was a speaker.  Many will
remember her from In the Heat of the Night.
We're not ashamed to say that we recognized
 her from That's So Raven too!

Charles was one of the keynote speakers.
His address was pitch-perfect in every way, but his best line was when he
explained that the etymology of Huell's name was a hybrid of his parents'
names - Harold and Jewell.  "That's like if Lucy and Ricky named their
baby Little Licky."

A particularly-cool moment was the helicopter fly-over performed by the LAPD.

The service culminated in a singalong of what else, but "California, Here I Come."

As a final farewell, we watched the sun set in the Pacific.
Say what you will about smog, it makes for some beautiful sunsets!
California's gold!!!

It was another lovely tribute to a man who touched the lives of and inspired the adventurer in so many.  Not wanting to say goodbye, we stuck around for a little meetin' and greetin'.  The result was a photo-op with Councilman LaBonge and an interview of Mr. Tiny by a local radio station.

Nick & Mr. Tiny even made The Los Angeles Times!!!
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Theresa, Mr. Tiny, Councilman LaBonge, Mary, Jesse, and Emily
Even though he appears to have been coerced, this photo was Mr. LaBonge's idea.

Jesse, Emily, Mr. Tiny, Charles, Theresa, and Mary
The answer is yes, we all pretty much wear the same outfits everyday...

Using our new mantra, WWHD - "What Would Huell Do?" - we headed to Hollywood for yet another after party.  We ended up at Miceli's, the famous restaurant at which Lucille Ball is purported to have learned how to throw pizza dough for an episode of "I Love Lucy" (just for the record, nobody in our party is buying that story).

The gang dining at Hollywood's oldest Italian restaurant, Miceli's (est. 1949).

Our dinner was accompanied by a very talented pianist who played a range of American standards and Broadway hits.  It was my hunch that someone who played at his skill level would most certainly know

a little, corn-fed ditty like "California, Here I Come."  I went over to him to explain all the events that had transpired and our desire to honor Huell's memory.  Having met Huell several times in the restaurant, he graciously accepted my musical request.  What else could we do but sing along?

"California, Here I Come"

Miceli's

1646 N Las Palmas Ave

Los Angeles, CA

(323)466-3438

www.micelisrestaurant.com

After all of that I think we feel confident that our respects have been paid to Huell Howser.  It is our duty now to carry on his tradition of discovery, adventure, and respect for our history.  It is Huell's duty to pave the way for all the adventures that are to come in the next life; so we say "Open up those pearly gates, Heaven, here Huell comes!"

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky Icons: Huell Howser

Outside of California (and maybe some parts of Tennessee), the name Huell Howser probably doesn't mean very much.  Within our borders, however, it is a venerated name that invariably elicits a smile and/or a goofy impression.  Just about everyone in California does a Huell Howser impression (to varying degrees of accuracy/success), with everyone thinking their impression is the best.  A native son of Tennessee (with the accent to prove it), he moved to California in 1981 as a television news reporter and quickly became the unofficial, one-man Chamber of Commerce for our entire state.

Huell Howser
(October 18, 1945 - January 6, 2013)

Best known for his PBS series, "California's Gold," Huell had a folksy charm and guileless innocence that gave him entree into countless businesses, museums, homes, landmarks, monuments, parks, restaurants, and the hearts of history lovers and wacky tacky-ites all over the state. It was with great sadness that we learned he passed away last night at the age of sixty seven.

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To be honest (and it might be obvious by now), Huell is a huge hero of mine.  Whenever anybody asked me what my dream job would be, I always said, "Huell Howser's;" he showed us everything in our state that makes it so uniquely fun and fascinating.

His sunny disposition and optimism made him watchable.
His restored, mid-century volcano house made him wacky tacky!
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If you needed further proof...
Dolly, Huell & Loretta
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It is funny that it took a Southerner to remind us of the vitality and excitement of our western landscape; I guess that sometimes it takes a keen and objective eye and the wonder of a child to show you the beauty of your own hometown/state.

Huell at The Apple Pan

Huell Howser as himself with Tracey Ullman

in "Tracey Takes On Hollywood"

Huell's Videolog - "The Elephant Man"

Growing up in Southern California, Huell has been a fixture of our regular family viewing since my earliest days.  Indeed, in the war for the remote control, "Visiting," "Videolog," and "California's Gold" were always the unspoken, entertainment peace treaty.  Huell's show and his unbridled enthusiasm are the unquestionable inspiration for our desire to explore, create, report, and celebrate the joy that surrounds us.  As my mom said, "It felt like he did nothing but go around and bring out the good in people and places...he will be missed.  We need more people like him on the earth...take the bad ones away and leave the Huell Howsers of the world."  Even though his place of birth was Gallatin, TN he was truly a part of California's gold.

Huell & The Del Rubio Triplets
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Many celebrities pass every year; some deaths are a surprise, some are tragic, and some come sweetly at the end of a long life well-lived.  Few have left me feeling more sad than good old Huell's.  In general, I'm not one to experience disproportionate emotion over things not directly related to my family.  In fact, in a world rocked by mass killings and war, it feels strange (and self-indulgent) to be so sad over the death of someone I have never met, but this one has hit me hard.  I keep thinking of the illustration of Mickey Mouse (his head the globe) crying over the death of Walt Disney.  In my mind, I can see a similar image of California mourning the loss of our patron saint, Huell Howser.  Huell stood for something good in this world; his was an example of positivity and light that helped me not be swallowed by the hate and ugliness that can exist.  As has been said, "All the darkness in the world can not extinguish the light of a single candle."  He gave hope to those of us who want to preserve a sense of our past.  He legitimized the old buildings, landmarks, watering holes, and traditions of California's rich heritage.  He gave credence to the notion that exploring your own backyard for a living was not just acceptable but of great import.  As was the tradition on his show, we close this post with the song "California, Here I Come," this time as performed by Huell himself.

R.I.P. Huell Howser

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

p.s. For local readers, I would love to find a time and place to get together and remember Huell and celebrate his legacy.  In my mind, Clifton's is the most obvious choice but it is still under renovation.  Pink's, Philippe's, Palm Springs...I'm open to suggestions.

UPDATE:  You are invited to our unofficial, wacky tacky Huell Howser memorial to be held on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 2:00pm at Philippe's in downtown Los Angeles.  We'll meet there for food, fun, prizes, and sharing our best memories of our pal, Huell.  This is an informal gathering of wacky tacky and Huell Howser fans and is a totally unsponsored event.

Philippe the Original
1001 Alameda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Please let us know if you are interested in raising a glass of
Broguiere's to our wacky tacky friend and icon too.
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7Up Yours!!!

Sometimes you leave the house with the best laid plans; instead of things working out just how you thought, your day takes a sharp right turn and unfolds in an entirely different manner than you had expected.  Often times that can be a bad thing.  Often times that redirection leads to frustration and a checklist unchecked.  Other times, it leads to something so wonderfully-effervescent that it can only be likened to the combustible mix of soda and Pop Rocks! (More on that later)

The ubiquitous gathered, ruffled top in a green and white, bamboo print cotton with
 pom pom trim.  Matching capri pants with pom pom trim at the hem. 

A matching basket purse?  Yes, indeedy!

Last weekend we were set to go do some demo recordings for Mary's label, Wild Records. They are currently filming a documentary and the crew was supposed to be at the studio.  Thusly, Mary was desirous of a new outfit.  I know, I know, the designs are becoming slightly derivative, but it is summertime and the livin' and the sewin' are supposed to be easy, right?

The Uncola!

On our way up to the location, I took a "sharp right turn," so we could go take a few photos by this painted 7Up sign.  Sights like this are VERY unusual in our neck of the woods and, having driven by it for years, I wanted to capture it while we still could.  The sign is painted on the side of a defunct bar turned tow yard.  Frankly, I'm not sure if they served "Pool Sandwiches" or if patrons were supposed to "Park in rear Pool," but I love advertisements painted on the sides of buildings.  Lack of punctuation notwithstanding, we felt very brazen as we parked in the in the tow yard's customer only parking and jumped out of the car to quickly snap a few photos.  After the photos were taken, we hopped in the getaway car and headed north.

As we inched along on the freeway, the parallel between the increase in traffic and the increase in temperature became increasingly evident.  Mary's phone rang and that is when our day's plans changed entirely.  The filming/recording had to be postponed and that left us with an afternoon of freedom.  As it turned out, our pal, Charles Phoenix, was making an appearance at the Summer Soda Tasting hosted by Galco's Old World Grocery/Soda Pop Stop, in Highland Park, CA. 

A small fraction of Galco's soda pop offerings

If you're unfamiliar with Galco's, it is a small, family-owned, neighborhood market that opened in 1897 as an Italian grocery.  Over the years, the neighborhood changed and so did the focus of the store.  For the last two decades, Galco's has become synonymous with soda pop, but not just any soda pop - craft-brewed, regional, hard-to-find, vintage soda pop in glass bottles.

They're also known for stocking many old-timey candies.
I highly recommend a Cherry Mash...if you like that kind of thing.

Certainly not the oldest example of 7Up, but considering
 the subject of our recent photo shoot, I thought it only
right that we show the vintage 7Up display a little respect. 

It has been brought to my attention that I should include more pictures of
myself.  In an effort to appease the masses, here's Mr. Tiny...hardy-har-har.

In honor of the occasion, Charles was on hand to mix "poptails" for the soda tasting.  Our favorite was the "Luscious Lavender," a combination of Frostie Blue Cream Soda and Nesbitt's Peach served ice-cold with a garnish of a single Swedish Fish.

Mary sampling the "Aqua Limonada" garnished with a Gummy Worm.

Usually when we help Charles at his shows/appearances, it is mostly selling books and t-shirts.  The star of this show, however, was the much anticipated unveiling of the newest taste sensation from his world-famous test kitchen - The Seven Layer Soda Pop Rocks Cake.  We were drafted into assembly and decoration detail and were whisked away to the back of the house to begin preparation on what was to become the hit of the day.

The first coat of frosting never looks perfect....

I've told you before, I'm rather handy in the kitchen but baking is most assuredly not my forte.  When Charles asked us to assemble and assist in decorating the cake, I wasn't sure which of the two tasks was more intimidating.  I jumped in without fear, however, and started stacking and icing!   I think I did a pretty good job of assembling my first-ever seven-layer cake.  Each layer of the cake was representative of a soda flavor (grape, lemon-lime, cherry, etc.) and sandwiched in between each layer was a healthy portion of Pop Rocks nestled in a thick swath of cream cheese frosting.  After an intense brainstorming session, Mary began applying the decoration.  We had a box full of tricks, but it became clear that the best approach was to team with the theme and cover the top and the sides of the cake with Pop Rocks and use the wax soda bottle candies to blast off the rocky surface. The center of the cake held a star-shaped sparkler that nearly set off the fire sprinklers when the cake was presented to the crowd.

Here's Mr. Tiny with the finished cake.
How is it possible that even standing behind it,
 my head is bigger than a seven-layer cake and
a comparable shade of red?!?!

Because we were assembling the cakes in the kitchen, a few attendees understandably assumed that we were employees of Galco's.  One lady repeatedly asked Mary to sell her some macaroni salad.  Mary's kindly explanation that not only was the service deli closed, but that she (Mary) was not an employee, only angered her and deepened her macaroni mania!  Frustrated, the woman turned to me and demanded that I sell her some macaroni salad.  You should have seen the daggers she shot me when I explained that I too was not authorized to serve Galco's, apparently-irresistible, macaroni salad.

"Crusted and dusted with over two cases of Pop Rocks,"
 the Seven Layer Soda Pop Rocks Cake!
Can you see the star sparkler sparkling?

The wedge of wonder!!!

The mad scientist with his latest creation
 and hordes of hungry fans!

The best part of the event was that while the cake was on display, the Pop Rocks kept popping and almost took out a few eyes.  There was a subtle, yet consistent, to borrow a phase that is no doubt trademarked, "snap, crackle, and pop" that underscored the event's festivities.  I got word that more exciting information regarding the Seven Layer Soda Pop Rock Cake will be forthcoming.  Stay tuned!!!

Galco's Old World Grocery/Soda Pop Stop

5702 York Blvd

Highland Park, CA

(323)255-7115

www.galcos.com

Now how's that for a wacky right turn?  What's your favorite flavor of pop?  Although I rarely drink it, Mr. Tiny's favorite is a toss up between Nehi Peach (not allowed in California due to our overly-strict lead laws as they relate to the glass bottle) and Root Beer (pretty much any kind).  I'm too chicken, but have you ever tested the limits of human fortitude by mixing soda and pop rocks?   Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook if you're so inclined.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny