Johnny Grant Dies

January 10th, 2008 · No Comments

Johnny Grant, the avuncular honorary mayor of Hollywood who traveled the world as Tinseltown’s No. 1 cheerleader for more than a half-century, has died. He was 84.

Grant died just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, apparently of natural causes, said Officer Jason Lee. Grant was found dead on a bed in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Lee said.

Grant was perhaps best known as the jolly host alongside more than 500 celebrities he inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Beginning in 1946, he was host of the game show “Stop the Clock,” which aired alternately on Dumont Television in New York City, WBGR-TV in Schenectady, N.Y. and WPTZ-TV in Philadelphia.

He also worked for Gene Autry at radio station KMPC as host of the “Freeway Club” from 1951 to 1959, becoming one of the nation’s first disc jockeys to mix regular traffic reports between playing records and interviewing celebrities.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce named Grant Hollywood’s honorary mayor in 1980, a position he held for the rest of his life.

Rest In Peace, Johnny.