Keillor << KEE luhr >>, Garrison (1942-…), is an American radio host, humorist, and writer. He first gained fame as the host and head writer for the weekly radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” which began in 1974. This highly praised program presented comedy as well as music that ranged from yodeling to opera. The highlight of each show was Keillor’s humorous monologue about a fictitious town called Lake Wobegon, Minnesota.
In 1987, Keillor left his radio show. By 1989, he had started another variety show on radio, “Garrison Keillor’s American Radio Company of the Air.” In 1993, his program returned to the name “A Prairie Home Companion.” Keillor performed the radio program for the last time in 2016, when the American musician, singer, and songwriter Chris Thile took over as host. Since leaving “A Prairie Home Companion,” Keillor has toured the United States, performing in live concerts.
Keillor’s books include Happy to Be Here: Stories and Comic Pieces (1982), Lake Wobegon Days (1985), Leaving Home (1987), WLT: A Radio Romance (1991), The Book of Guys (1993), Wobegon Boy (1997), Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 (2001), Love Me (2003), Homegrown Democrat (2004), Pontoon (2007), Pilgrims and A Christmas Blizzard (both 2009), Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny (2012), That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life (2020), and Cheerfulness (2023). Keillor starred in and wrote the screenplay for A Prairie Home Companion (2006), a motion picture based on the radio program. Keillor also contributes articles and stories to such magazines as Harper’s and The New Yorker. Keillor, whose real name is Gary Edward Keillor, was born in Anoka, Minnesota, on Aug. 7, 1942.
