Johnny Grant died today in his penthouse suite at the Roosevelt Hotel. You know his face from because he was the perennial master of ceremonies when movie actors and others were awarded stars on Hollywood Boulevard.

He was called the “Mayor of Hollywood,” which is a bit of local humor because Hollywood is not a city, it’s a district of Los Angeles. Johnny’s spokesman role for the district fell under the auspices of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

This quintessential Californian — he was the only person ever to twice receive an Order of California, the state’s highest honor — was born and raised in flat coastal plain of North Carolina, in Goldsboro. He came through Los Angeles during World War II, fell in love with the city and stayed.

He was 84.