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Hale-Bopp from 1997featuring Greg Brown, Diana Krall, and The Hopeful Gospel Quartet
A City Winery trek is part of Garrison’s solo story and song tour. The solo trek begins this coming weekend and continues through June when we reassemble the troupe for two A Prairie Home Companion shows. We hope to see you on the road! Ticket info - Listen to the classic show!This week, we revisit a spring show originally performed at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul with Greg Brown, Diana Krall, Kate MacKenzie, and Robin and Linda Williams. Highlights include talk about the weather and the once in a lifetime sighting of the comet Hale-Bopp, complete with a song. There are few tunes by The Hopeful Gospel Quartet, including “Your Long Journey,” and Greg Brown inspires with “Vivid” and “Speaking in Tongues.” Diana Krall kicks in an inspiring version of “Why Don’t You Just Go Home.” Also, a Marvin and Mavis Smiley album for spring, Café Boeuf, Cowboys, Catchup, Mr. Rogers, and the latest News from Lake Wobegon. A jam-packed program. Listen to the show. About Our Guests: Greg Brown's mother played electric guitar, his grandfather played banjo, and his father was a Holy Roller preacher in the Hacklebarney section of Iowa where the Gospel and music are a way of life. Brown's first professional singing job came at age 18 in New York City, running hootenannies (folksinger get-togethers) at the legendary Gerdes Folk City. After a year, Brown moved west to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where he was a ghostwriter for Buck Ram, founder of the Platters. Tired of the fast-paced life, Brown traveled with a band for a few years, and even quit playing for a while before he moved back to Iowa and began writing songs and playing in Midwestern clubs and coffeehouses. Brown's songwriting has been lauded by many, and his songs have been performed by Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Michael Johnson, Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Always known as a great songwriter who tells very personal stories through song, it is fitting that the last song he recorded before announcing his retirement was “Trump Can’t Have That.” Almost thirty years ago, a New York Times review rightly said that Diana Krall “promises to become one of the most significant voices carrying on a classic vocal tradition.” Diana grew up in a musical family in Nanaimo, British Columbia. A great-great-aunt of hers played the New York vaudeville circuit; her father collected records and sheet-music. From her dad’s collection, young Diana heard music from the earliest days of recording — wax cylinders and 78s of opera, classical, and jazz galore, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Thelonious Monk, and lots of Fats Waller, who was the family's favorite musician. At age four, Krall began studying classical piano, but turned toward jazz during high school and went on the study at the Berklee College of Music. Bassist Ray Brown encouraged her to move to Los Angeles. A Canadian Arts Council grant allowed her to go to L.A., where she studied with pianist Jimmy Rowles and others. Diana has won two Grammy Awards and eight Juno Awards. She continues to entertain fans throughout the world. Her most recent album is This Dream of You. The Hopeful Gospel Quartet was formed when four friends discovered their shared interest in gospel music. They were standing around backstage before a performance of A Prairie Home Companion, and one of them began to sing. The others joined in. Original members were Garrison Keillor, Kate MacKenzie, and Robin & Linda Williams. They performed concerts across the country, recorded two albums, and appeared at Austin City Limits. You can read and listen to a deeper profile here » Here is the story of the comet Hale-Bopp as featured on this week’s classic program: Every four thousand years, it swings on by Hale–Bopp It's big and bright as a comet can be Hale–Bopp The night Hale–Bopp came overhead Hale–Bopp About the time Hale–Bopp got big and bright Hale–Bopp A comet that’s twenty-five miles wide Hale–Bopp And on April 1st it approaches the sun Hale–Bopp And one night we’ll dance on the lawn TR: “Hello chief, GK: In another month it’ll fade away Hale–Bopp Life is short. Things disappear. Hale–Bopp New Lyrics ©1997 by Garrison Keillor Can you believe it’s been 25 years since the original version of the Pretty Good Joke Book was released? Throughout the year, we will feature jokes and anecdotes about the almost-annual EVENT. Fourteen complete shows plus good parts of several others created a fan favorite where Garrison and the cast read jokes, many arriving so fast that you could not slow down to wait for laughter to subside before the next joke was delivered. Many jokes were sent in online via the joke generator after the first couple of shows, but the show became an albatross of sorts to the staff since Garrison truly didn’t want to repeat a joke — and many hours were spent making sure that didn’t happen. Well, the Joke Book gathers the jokes together, plus many that were submitted but not used on air, and organizes them into easy-to-understand categories for enjoyment and sharing. Here is one that Garrison has woven into a song during his solo shows and even on several stops on the 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour. So Tommy goes into a confessional and says, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman.” The priest says, “Is that you, Tommy?” “Yes, Father, it is I.” “Who was the woman you were with, my son?” “I cannot tell you, Father, for I do not wish to ruin her reputation.” “Was it Brenda?” “No, Father.” “Was it Fiona?” “No, Father.” “Was it Ann?” “No, Father.” “Very well, Tommy. Go say five Our Fathers and four Hail Marys.” Tommy goes back to his pew, and his buddy Sean slides over and asks, “What happened?” And Tommy says, “I got five Our Fathers, four Hail Marys, and three good leads.” Grab the Joke Book and entertain yourself or share a few of the jokes with your family or friends! Almost every season, it was a show that most listeners looked forward to. Get the book. A Prairie Home Companion’s 50th Anniversary2024 saw Garrison Keillor gathering together the entire cast to stage a yearlong celebration of the old radio show, which began on July 6, 1974. The 22 shows, performed at venues around the country, saw Prairie Home return to its home at The Fitzgerald Theater for the first time since February 2016. Though the shows were similar, not all elements stayed the same, since Garrison is known to write and rewrite, but everyone who attended should find elements that they remember. And if you could not join us live, the celebratory 2-CD release plays like a 3-hour version of the radio show complete with stories, songs, sketches, sponsor ads, and guest performers and duets. Get the CDs. This is a FREE NEWSLETTER. If you want to help support the cost of this newsletter, click this button. Currently there are no added benefits other than our THANKS! Any questions or comments, add below or email admin@garrisonkeillor.com Upgrade to paid
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