Danny Finegood, who viewed his hillside handiwork on the "Hollywood" sign as environmental sculpture, died of multiple myeloma Monday at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.
The first time Mr. Finegood played a word game with the Hollywood sign, he hung curtains to make it read "Hollyweed." That was on Jan. 1, 1976 -- the day California's relaxed marijuana law took effect.
The prankster and friends obscured consonants to coin "Holywood" for Easter in 1977 and "Ollywood" to protest the hero worship of Marines Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings a decade later.
In his final round of wordplay with the sign, Mr. Finegood made a political statement against the Persian Gulf War by draping plastic sheeting over the 50-foot-high letters to form "Oil War" in the early 1990s.
Growing up in the shadow of the hillside landmark, Mr. Finegood had developed affection for the letters first erected in 1923 to promote a housing development -- Hollywoodland. As an art major at California State University at Northridge, he first made mischief with the sign for a class project that involved working with scale.
The media -- alerted to the alphabetic tinkering the night before -- was also there. The "Hollyweed" image was seen around the world.
The stunt earned him an "A" on the class assignment.
Years later, he protested a characterization of the event in the Los Angeles Times that referred to "vandals" altering the sign.
Daniel Ned Finegood was born March 23, 1954, in Los Angeles to Rachel and David Finegood, who owned a furniture-making company .
In addition to his wife and mother, Mr. Finegood leaves his children, Matthew and Natalie; and sister, Freddi Sue Finegood.
The first time Mr. Finegood played a word game with the Hollywood sign, he hung curtains to make it read "Hollyweed." That was on Jan. 1, 1976 -- the day California's relaxed marijuana law took effect.
The prankster and friends obscured consonants to coin "Holywood" for Easter in 1977 and "Ollywood" to protest the hero worship of Marines Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings a decade later.
In his final round of wordplay with the sign, Mr. Finegood made a political statement against the Persian Gulf War by draping plastic sheeting over the 50-foot-high letters to form "Oil War" in the early 1990s.
Growing up in the shadow of the hillside landmark, Mr. Finegood had developed affection for the letters first erected in 1923 to promote a housing development -- Hollywoodland. As an art major at California State University at Northridge, he first made mischief with the sign for a class project that involved working with scale.
The media -- alerted to the alphabetic tinkering the night before -- was also there. The "Hollyweed" image was seen around the world.
The stunt earned him an "A" on the class assignment.
Years later, he protested a characterization of the event in the Los Angeles Times that referred to "vandals" altering the sign.
Daniel Ned Finegood was born March 23, 1954, in Los Angeles to Rachel and David Finegood, who owned a furniture-making company .
In addition to his wife and mother, Mr. Finegood leaves his children, Matthew and Natalie; and sister, Freddi Sue Finegood.
Danny Finegood, who viewed his hillside handiwork on the "Hollywood" sign as environmental sculpture, died of multiple myeloma Monday at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.
The first time Mr. Finegood played a word game with the Hollywood sign, he hung curtains to make it read "Hollyweed." That was on Jan. 1, 1976 -- the day California's relaxed marijuana law took effect.
The prankster and friends obscured consonants to coin "Holywood" for Easter in 1977 and "Ollywood" to protest the hero worship of Marines Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings a decade later.
In his final round of wordplay with the sign, Mr. Finegood made a political statement against the Persian Gulf War by draping plastic sheeting over the 50-foot-high letters to form "Oil War" in the early 1990s.
Growing up in the shadow of the hillside landmark, Mr. Finegood had developed affection for the letters first erected in 1923 to promote a housing development -- Hollywoodland. As an art major at California State University at Northridge, he first made mischief with the sign for a class project that involved working with scale.
The media -- alerted to the alphabetic tinkering the night before -- was also there. The "Hollyweed" image was seen around the world.
The stunt earned him an "A" on the class assignment.
Years later, he protested a characterization of the event in the Los Angeles Times that referred to "vandals" altering the sign.
Daniel Ned Finegood was born March 23, 1954, in Los Angeles to Rachel and David Finegood, who owned a furniture-making company .
In addition to his wife and mother, Mr. Finegood leaves his children, Matthew and Natalie; and sister, Freddi Sue Finegood.
The first time Mr. Finegood played a word game with the Hollywood sign, he hung curtains to make it read "Hollyweed." That was on Jan. 1, 1976 -- the day California's relaxed marijuana law took effect.
The prankster and friends obscured consonants to coin "Holywood" for Easter in 1977 and "Ollywood" to protest the hero worship of Marines Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings a decade later.
In his final round of wordplay with the sign, Mr. Finegood made a political statement against the Persian Gulf War by draping plastic sheeting over the 50-foot-high letters to form "Oil War" in the early 1990s.
Growing up in the shadow of the hillside landmark, Mr. Finegood had developed affection for the letters first erected in 1923 to promote a housing development -- Hollywoodland. As an art major at California State University at Northridge, he first made mischief with the sign for a class project that involved working with scale.
The media -- alerted to the alphabetic tinkering the night before -- was also there. The "Hollyweed" image was seen around the world.
The stunt earned him an "A" on the class assignment.
Years later, he protested a characterization of the event in the Los Angeles Times that referred to "vandals" altering the sign.
Daniel Ned Finegood was born March 23, 1954, in Los Angeles to Rachel and David Finegood, who owned a furniture-making company .
In addition to his wife and mother, Mr. Finegood leaves his children, Matthew and Natalie; and sister, Freddi Sue Finegood.
Bio by: Laurie
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