By Paul Bremmer
When Larry Elder was a boy growing up in Los Angeles, his older brother would sometimes take him for a walk down Hollywood Boulevard and point out various celebrities' stars on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now, after 21 years of hosting a popular talk-radio show, Elder is set to join that pantheon of stars. The conservative author and radio personality will receive his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an April 27 ceremony, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has announced.
"Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I'd end up being there. I mean, it literally is out-of-body," Elder, the author of "Dear Father, Dear Son: Two Lives ... Eight Hours," told WND in an interview.
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Each year, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awards Walk of Fame stars to notable figures in the categories of television, motion pictures, recording, live theater and radio. Out of the 30 entertainers who will receive a star in 2015, Elder is the only one in the radio category.
In fact, Elder will be only the fifth political, talk-radio host to receive a star, following Bill Cunningham, Dan Avey, Ray Briem and Bill Handel. He told WND, which carries his syndicated weekly column, his name had been submitted for consideration in the past, but nothing came of it until last year. Even with the nominations, Elder never expected to receive a star. He was even more amazed to find out his star would be at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
"I thought they'd put me in front of a Hooters or something," he joked.
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There are more than 2,500 celebrities with stars on the Walk of Fame, but Elder said he is most excited about joining Charlton Heston, whose star lies at 1628 Vine St.
"I had the good fortune of meeting him and interviewing him several times," Elder said. "He invited me to his home a couple of times. He was a marvelous, marvelous man."
Elder praised Heston for his "gravitas," as well as "the voice, the demeanor and the personality," saying no actor today can match Heston in those areas.
Elder told a story about Heston. He interviewed the "Ben-Hur" star several years ago, and during a commercial break, he told Heston he had read that the actor was always faithful to his wife, Lydia.
But considering that Heston filmed movies with so many women and spent so much time away from home, Elder wanted to know if he had ever given in to temptation. The host stressed that they were off the record and he would never reveal Heston's answer on air.
But the film star replied, "Not one time, Larry. When I met [my wife], I knew this was going to be the woman for me, and I was never even tempted."
Some time after that, Elder was at a party at Heston's house, talking with Lydia Heston. He leaned over and told her what her husband had told him in that off-the-air conversation. She started crying tears of gratitude.
Elder said he is also thrilled to join Kirk Douglas on the Walk of Fame.
"Kirk Douglas also called me one time when I was on the air, sent a fax – we had fax machines – and he said, 'Larry Elder, I'm an admirer of yours. Let's have dinner, Kirk Douglas.' Get out of here!" Elder recalled.
Elder did indeed have dinner with Douglas. The two men talked about each other – Douglas tried to keep the conversation focused on Elder, but Elder wanted to talk mostly about Douglas' 1988 autobiography, "The Ragman's Son."
Elder also told WND he looks forward to joining Sidney Poitier on the Walk of Fame. Poitier was the first African-American to win an Oscar for best actor.
"He is a symbol of a proud black man who deals with crises and overcomes obstacles with class, dignity, grace and integrity," Elder said. "I had the honor of meeting him and shaking his hand a few years ago. After him, the Lord broke the mold."
Elder was asked what he would say to children who might want to follow in his footsteps. What is the secret to his success?
"If there were another formula, I'd give it to you," he said. "There isn't. Hard work. Self-improvement. That's it. There's nothing else I can tell you. Hard work, self-improvement. There's no other way. There's no shortcut."
Elder continued: "If you are lucky enough to have a father, and lucky enough to have a father who's a good role model to you, embrace him, love him. If you are not lucky enough to have a father, sometimes you have to look in the mirror and be your own role model."
Elder noted that his father, Randolph, was on his own from the age of 13. He had to work hard at a variety of jobs to pull himself up by the bootstraps and eventually start and raise a family. That is why Larry considers Randolph to be his role model.
But the younger Elder said he is sad that so many Americans today don't seem to share his father's hardworking attitude.
"Half of this country is convinced there is something called a free lunch, and that the Republicans, tea-party people, black conservatives are stopping them from eating it," Elder said.
Regarding the fight to raise the minimum wage, he remarked: "Half of the country believes you can wave a magic wand and double somebody's salary without there being any kind of consequences. And it's obscene; it's absurd."
Elder noted the Los Angeles City Council is currently considering raising L.A.'s minimum wage from $9 to $15 per hour. He said three reports were done: one from employers who didn't want to raise the minimum wage, one for the union that wanted it and one supposedly objective analysis done for the council. All three admitted that hiking the minimum wage would lead to job loss.
"How is it that to the left it's OK that a certain number of people won't get jobs so long as the ones who have jobs will have a little bit more is a formula that blows my mind," he mused. "I just find it incredible that that's acceptable."
Elder’s new star will be at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard. Guest speakers at the April 27 ceremony will include actors Dean Cain and Jon Voight, and conservative radio host Dennis Prager.
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