Huell Howser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Huell Howser
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Howser at the Nisei Week Grand Parade in Los Angeles, California, 2007
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Huell Burnley Howser
October 18, 1945 Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Died | January 7, 2013 (aged 67) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Ashes scattered off the coast of Los Angeles County, California |
| Alma mater | University of Tennessee |
| Occupation | Television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, voice artist |
| Years active | 1985–2012 |
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Huell Burnley Howser (born October 18, 1945 – died January 7, 2013) was a friendly American TV host, producer, and writer. He was best known for his popular shows like California's Gold and Visiting... with Huell Howser. These shows explored interesting places, people, and stories all across California. Huell's unique way of talking to people and his excitement for discovering new things made him very popular. He also lent his voice to the character called the Backson in the 2011 movie Winnie the Pooh.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Huell Howser was born in Gallatin, Tennessee, on October 18, 1945. His parents were Harold and Jewell Howser. Huell's first name is a mix of his parents' names, Harold and Jewell. He explained this in an episode of California's Gold.
Huell finished high school at the University School of Nashville in 1963. After that, he went to the University of Tennessee. There, he studied history and political science. He was also the student body president, which means he was chosen by his fellow students to lead them.
Huell's TV Career
Before starting his TV career, Huell served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He also worked for U.S. Senator Howard Baker.
Huell began working in television at WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tennessee. He produced shows that focused on everyday people and their interesting stories. These shows were called Happy Features and The Happy World of Huell Howser.
Later, Huell moved to New York City and hosted a show called "Real Life" for WCBS-TV. In 1981, he moved to Los Angeles, California. There, he worked as a reporter for KCBS-TV. For a couple of years, he was also a host and reporter for Entertainment Tonight.
In 1983, Huell joined KCET, a PBS TV station. He became the host and producer of a show called Videolog. This show featured short, interesting segments, each less than 10 minutes long. They often aired between other programs to fill time. Videolog became very popular. By 1990, the show grew into half-hour episodes. It covered many topics, including a unique artist who created art from lint.
California's Gold: Exploring the Golden State
In 1991, Huell took a trip across California. He visited all 13 PBS stations in the state. This trip inspired his most famous show, California's Gold, which started in April of that year.
California's Gold showed viewers hidden gems across the state. Huell visited small towns, famous landmarks, and special events. He often talked to local people involved with these places. His interviews were informal and often happened on the spot.
Huell also produced many other shows that explored California, including:
- California's Communities
- California's Golden Fairs
- Downtown
- California's Water
- California's Green
- California's Golden Coast
- California's Golden Parks
- Road Trip
- Visiting... with Huell Howser
- California Missions
- Palm Springs
- Our Neighborhoods
- The Bench
Visiting... with Huell Howser
Visiting... with Huell Howser was another weekly PBS series. It aired from 1991 until Huell retired in 2012. This show focused on the "diverse people, places, and events" that make Southern California special. Even today, you can still watch reruns of this popular series on KCET and other PBS stations. Many episodes are also available online.
Other Interesting Projects
Huell also wrote articles for Westways magazine. This magazine is published by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
In 1997, he appeared as himself in an episode of the TV show Tracey Takes On.... He was featured alongside actress Tracey Ullman.
Huell tried to save some buildings designed by architect Paul R. Williams at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Sadly, his efforts were not successful, and the buildings were torn down.
He also appeared in the 2006 movie Who Killed the Electric Car?. In the film, he reported on the destruction of a Honda EV Plus electric car.
In 2011, Huell used his voice for the character called the Backson. This was in the movie Winnie the Pooh. You can hear his voice in the scene that plays after the movie credits.
Huell's Personal Life
Huell Howser lived in the historic El Royale apartments in Los Angeles, California. He also owned homes in Palm Springs and Twentynine Palms.
Huell mentioned that he was a Methodist during an episode of California's Golden Fairs.
The Volcano House
In 2003, Huell bought a very unique house called the Volcano House. It was about 1,800 square feet and sat on top of a volcanic cinder cone. This special home was located near Barstow in Newberry Springs. It also came with 60 acres of desert land and a man-made lake.
In 2010, Huell decided to sell the Volcano House. In June 2012, he donated the house to Chapman University. The university later sold the Volcano House in 2015.
Retirement and Passing
On November 27, 2012, news spread that Huell Howser was retiring from making new shows. There was some talk that he might be seriously ill.
Huell Howser passed away on January 7, 2013, at his home in Palm Springs, California. He was 67 years old. He had been fighting prostate cancer for several years, which was listed as the cause of his death. Huell's body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered into the sea off the coast of Los Angeles County.
A memorial was held for Huell on January 15, 2013. Before he died, Huell had said he did not want a big funeral because he didn't want a lot of attention.
Huell's Legacy
In 2011, Huell Howser gave his entire collection of California's Gold episodes and his other TV series to Chapman University. He also donated his personal papers and many books about California history to the school.
Chapman University created the Huell Howser Archives. This project will make all of his digitized work available for free to the public. You can access these archives at Chapman University or online. Huell also gave his large art collection to the university. This collection mostly includes "found-object" art that he collected during his travels. He also started the California's Gold Scholarship Fund. When he passed away, he left his two remaining homes to the university. The money from selling these homes will go into the scholarship fund.
Many people shared their thoughts about Huell's special way of celebrating California's history and culture after he died. Gustavo Arellano, a newspaper editor, called Huell "the greatest Californian since Hiram Johnson". He noted that for Huell, "California was the ultimate temple of the American dream." This shows how much many Californians respected Huell for his enthusiastic way of promoting their state's heritage.
In 2015, a Golden Palm Star was placed on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California. This star honors Huell Howser and his contributions.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | |
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| 1998 | Tracey Takes On... | Himself | |
| 2006 | Who Killed the Electric Car? | Reporter | |
| 2009 | The Simpsons | Himself | Voice |
| 2011 | Winnie the Pooh | The Backson | Voice |
See also
In Spanish: Huell Howser para niños
