Johnny Grant

He was known informally as "the Mayor of Hollywood," but a more fitting title for Johnny Grant may have been "ambassador." Of all the show business folk who have drifted in and out of Tinseltown - some ruling with an iron fist; many simply enjoying its spoils while they could - no one loved Hollywood, itself, more than Grant, who took it upon himself to be its defender, protector and tireless promoter. The former cub reporter and radio host, who passed away in January, 2008 at the age of 84, was a prominent fixture at thousands of events, ribbon cuttings, parades and grand openings; most notably his true love, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where he oversaw the induction of some 500 stars over the decades, as their names took up permanent residence on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. More than anything, in a culture often criticized for hype, Grant - with his cherub-like features and an impish grin - embraced hyperbole, glitz and glamour, insisting unapologetically that Hollywood was nothing if not larger than life.