Huell Howser to be honored with 388th star in Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars will honor former Palm Springs resident, television personality, actor and voice artist best known for hosting his human interest show, California’s Gold, Mr. Huell Howser.

The 388th Star Dedication Ceremony will be held on Sunday October 18, at 11:00 a.m. at 160 South Palm Canyon Drive. The star is sponsored by fans and friends of Huell Howser. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

In June, KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 reported about how Kay Adkins began a GoFundMe page to help get the charming storyteller an honor in a town he loved so much.

“Palm Springs is the only single geographic area he focused on. He loved this area that much,” Adkins said.

The honor of a star does not come cheap.

“It costs $10,000 for a star” Adkins says, “There are real costs involved in making one of these — having the city install one of these on a public walkway, with maintenance. It’s real costs.”

She says while Howser was alive, someone submitted an application for a star on Huell’s behalf, and it was unanimously approved by the nonprofit’s board of directors. The only problem — there was no sponsor to pay for the star. Many agreed the historian should have a star, but there’s never been an effort to raise the $10,000 needed, until now.

From 2001 to 2010, Howser shot 34 episodes of California Gold in Palm Springs, the city where he chose to spend his final days in 2013.

According to a release from The Palm Springs Walk of Stars, When Huell Howser moved to Los Angeles in 1981 from his home state of Tennessee to become a reporter for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, he had no idea he’d fall in love with California. His enthusiasm for his new home inspired the idea for California’s Gold.

Huell had a simple idea: if he traveled the state with an open heart and an open mind, a microphone and a camera, he would uncover a treasure of California stories.

“We operate on the premise that TV isn’t brain surgery. People’s stories are what it’s all about,” said Howser. “If you have a good story, it doesn’t have to be overproduced. I want our stories to reveal the wonders of the human spirit and the richness of life in California, including its history, people, culture and natural wonders.”

The success and popularity of the show helped to launch six additional series about life in California, Visiting with Huell Howser, Road Trip with Huell Howser, California’s Golden Parks, California’s Green, California’s Water and the most recent series, Downtown, officials said. Huell’s work in television also took him on travels worldwide, including Egypt, Israel, Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, Australia, Europe, and twice to the former Soviet Union.

Howser passed away January 7, 2013. His legacy will continue to touch lives at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., where he donated his estate and his life’s work. The joy that Huell shared with generations of Californians now infuses a permanent exhibit, sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California: the California’s Gold Exhibit and Huell Howser Archive, according to The Walk of Stars release.

Housed in Chapman University’s Leatherby Libraries, the exhibit includes images, text and artifacts, which outline Huell’s career and legacy in California. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

“We are very proud to honor Huell Howser with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars” said Bob Alexander, President of the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.