AW SHUCKS

It may not mean anything to folks outside of California, but Huell Howser passed away early this morning. Howser was a Tennessee native who move to Los Angeles in 1981, and was the host of a syndicated show called "California's Gold", a sort of travelogue of seemingly mundane locations. But plop Howser in the middle of any boring location, and he'd find something to passively wig out about.


An early clip, Howswer reports on the Clash in NY, 1980. Interview starts at 2:30.

He loved to repeat what he'd just been told to make sure the folks at home got the full impact. A typical exchange might go something like this: an interview subject might say "The sky is blue." to which Howser would say, "Now hold on, wait a minute, you're telling me the sky is actually blue?!? How about that!" It was his low key demeanor and total lack of pretense that made him a favorite around here. Seriously, the guy was like a curious uncle you'd want to tag along with.

Here's a few Cali-centric songs. There's tons of video of Howser floating around, but you should start with his channel at YouTube.

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Listen:
Marlena Shaw - California Soul mp3 at Copy This
Jolie Holland - Goodby California mp3 (via Box.com) at Carnival Saloon
Further listening:

Five more songs about California at Carnival Saloon Tom Waits, the Arlenes, Billy Bragg and Wilco, Virgil Shaw, and Guy Clark, along with the aforementioned Marlene Shaw and Jolie Holland.

Video:

Huell Howser channel at YouTube

Visit:

Huell Howser Dead: Beloved California TV Broadcaster Dies Of Natural Causes at Huffington Post