The Hollywood sign was first erected in 1923 and originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND”. Its purpose was to advertise the name of a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. The sign was officially dedicated on July 13, 1923. It was not intended to be permanent. Restoration company Bay Cal Painting says on its website that the expected life was to be about a year and a half, but after the rise of the American cinema in Los Angeles it became an internationally recognized symbol, and was left there. In September 1932, Broadway actress Peg Entwistle, a resident of Beachwood Canyon, committed suicide by jumping to her death from the letter H.
This is so cool to see.
Until about 3 or 4 years ago, I always thought I hated LA/Hollywood. As I’ve gotten older… I’ve made a lot of friends out there, spent a lot of time there - both on tour and off, and I’m proud to say that now it’s like my 2nd home. There is still a lot of magic in Hollywood, you just have to look past what our televisions try to make us believe about it.
