Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor, born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942 in Anoka, Minnesota, is an American author, humorist, radio personality, singer, voice actor, and storyteller whose career has spanned more than five decades. Raised in a large family of six children, his parents were Grace Ruth (née Denham) and John Philip Keillor, and his early life was shaped by the Plymouth Brethren church and a deep Midwestern sensibility that would later become the hallmark of his work. After graduating from Anoka High School in 1960, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota in 1966, where he began broadcasting on the student‑run Radio K, foreshadowing a lifetime behind the microphone. Keillor launched his professional radio career in November 1969 with Minnesota Educational Radio, later Minnesota Public Radio, creating the weekday show A Prairie Home Entertainment that evolved into the iconic A Prairie Home Companion in 1974, a live‑audience variety program that showcased folk music, comedy sketches, and his beloved monologue “The News from Lake Wobegon,” a fictional town that captured the spirit of the American Midwest. Over the years he authored more than a dozen books—including Lake Wobegon Days and Leaving Home—wrote columns for The New Yorker and Salon, and hosted the daily poetry program The Writer’s Almanac from 1993 to 2017. His voice‑over work extended to commercials, documentaries, and animated series, while his on‑screen cameo as himself in Robert Altman’s 2006 film A Prairie Home Companion cemented his cultural legacy. Despite a celebrated career marked by awards such as a Peabody, a Grammy, and the National Humanities Medal, Keillor’s later years were marred by allegations of sexual misconduct that led Minnesota Public Radio to sever ties in 2017, resulting in a settlement and the restoration of his archives. Nevertheless, his storytelling continues to influence American humor and literary tradition, and his extensive bibliography, voice performances, and live tours keep the Lake Wobegon spirit alive for new audiences.