Hollywood Celebrities Meet Their Readers, 50 Years of Nostalgia and Pure Country Music in one Weekend

Celebrities turned authors are looking for their reading fans. The valley’s major university is looking for alumni from the last 50 years and country music is looking for its music fans. Spring is here in Southern California and it’s clearly evident in all three of these outdoor festivals, April 25 and 26. With near perfect temperatures that southern California is known for it promises to be a fun-filled weekend. One can enjoy the Celebration of the Written Word at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival, 50 years of history in the making at the University of Southern California, Northridge or listen to pure country music at the Stage Coach Music Festival.

A CELEBRATION OF THE WRITTEN WORD
The Los Angeles Times Book Festival is the biggest book festival in Southern California is being held on the grounds of the U.C.L.A. campus. Running an entire weekend it offers a chance for all to meet Hollywood celebrities turned authors, other authors signing their books, children’s stage and performers, and other family events. www.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.

Celebrity Authors include Michael J. Fox, author of “Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist”
Henry Winkler, author of “Hank Zipper: A Tale of Two Tails #15”
Brooke Shields, author of “It’s the Best Day Ever, Dad!”
Cloris Leachman, author of “Cloris”
Arianna Huffington, author of “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging”
Maureen McCormick, (Marcia on the Televison series The Brady Bunch) author of “Here’s The Story”
Tori Spelling, author of “Mommywood”
Alyssa Milano, “Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic”

And others.

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
From acres of wheat fields and orange trees the San Fernando College as it was called has welcomes students for 50 years. It has become a campus that continues to welcome students each semester and send those graduates into the world. The campus now known as the University of Southern California, Northridge, (CSUN) has an academic population each year that is larger than the number of residents that lived in the valley when the campus first opened in 1948. www.csun.edu


PURE COUNTRY AT STAGE-COACH
Listen to the music of country’s top talent stars like Kenney Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Brad Paisely, Reba, Kid Rock and many more. Camp out for the two days on the Empire Polo Field in Indio. www.stagecoachfestival.com

Thursday Thirteen - Hollywood Stars and The Valley They Called Home

The San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles was the place to live if you were a Hollywood actor or actress from the early days of film to the current days. It was a serene valley away from the hustle and bustle of the lights, camera and action of Hollywood. Sometimes, Hollywood’s famous would hide behind big gated fences to maintain their privacy and others we were proud to call our next door neighbor.


Bob Hope (Entertainer and Actor) – longest residency in Toluca Lake

Lucille Ball (Actress) - televisions most beloved red-head and star of the I Love Lucy television show (1951 – 1957)

Marion Ross – (Actress) America’s favorite mom in the television show “Happy Days”

Henry Winkler (Actor, The Fonz in the television series “Happy Days”

Gene Autry – (Singer/Actor)

Sandra Tsing Loh, (Author) - “A Year in Van Nuys” and radio show host for The Loh Down on Science on the radio station KPCC

Britney Spears (Singer/Actress)

Richie Valens (Singer) -“La Bamba” and “Donna.” Tragically, he died in a plane crash at age 17.

David Kopay ( Football celebrity)

Frankie Avalon (Actor/Singer)

Amelia Earhart – (Aviationer)

Bing Crosby – (Singer/Actor) – his song “San Fernando Valley” climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts on the week ending April 20, 1944.

Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (actor/actress/singers)


~Valley Girl~