(The below information is from prairiehome.publicradio.org)
Decades Cannot Improve…
Take a trip through A Prairie Home Companion's 40 years for a look at a few of the major and not-so-major milestones, backstage stories, and "firsts" from the show's history.
1974
- March 15: Onward and Upward - Garrison attends the Grand Ole Opry's final broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium to do research for an article in The New Yorker, which inspired the creation of A Prairie Home Companion. The article was published on May 6, 1974.
- July 6: Our Very First Broadcast! - After three test shows at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis earlier in the year, the very first live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion hits the airwaves from the Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Admission was $1 (50 cents for kids) and guests included Vern Sutton, Philip Brunelle, Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson, broadcaster Bob DeHaven, accordionist Ernie Garven, and the Brescian String Quartet.
- July 20: Butch Thompson - Our second live broadcast, also from Macalester College, featured the first visit from pianist and clarinetist Butch Thompson.
- September 14: Peter Ostroushko - Peter Ostroushko appears on the show for the first time, at the Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College
1975
- February 22: Live from the Road - The first live broadcast outside the Twin Cities, from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN
- May 6: The Powdermilk Biscuit Band - The first appearance of the Powdermilk Biscuit Band’s original lineup: Bob Douglas, Adam Granger, and Mary DuShane
- October 4: Robin & Linda Williams - Robin and Linda Williams appear on the show for the first time
- November 17: North to Dakota - APHC’s first non-Minnesota show, recorded for broadcast in Fargo, North Dakota
1977
- May 21: Introducing Lake Wobegon - The first time Garrison said "It’s been a quiet week out in Lake Wobegon this last week…"
1978
- March 4: Welcome to The World - APHC’s first show at the World Theater
1979
- February 17: Coast to Coast - APHC’s first national live broadcast, from Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis as part of NPR’s "Folk Festival USA" series
- April 29: Women, Children and Men First - The first time Garrison used this familiar line to close a monologue: "Where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."
- August 4: Land of 10,000 - A live broadcast from Minneapolis’ Lake Harriet Bandshell draws over 10,000 people
1980
- February 2: Live at 5 - Having bounced between 4:30 p.m., 5:00; 5:30; then 5:00 and then 5:30 again, then 7:00, 5:30, 6:30, and 6:00, the APHC broadcast time settles at 5:00 p.m.
- May 31: Greg Brown - Greg Brown appears on the show for the first time, at the St. Paul-Ramsey Arts and Sciences Center
- October 11: Distinguished Achievement - APHC broadcasts from the Iowa State University Auditorium in Ames, Iowa - a show that would later win a Peabody Award
- November 3: Rich Dworsky - Rich Dworsky appears on the show for the first time
- December 20: Fred Newman - Fred Newman appears on the show for the first time, a few months after the release of his book MouthSounds
1982
- May 15: Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins appears on the show for the first time, at the World Theater
- November 20: Doc Watson - Doc Watson appears on the show for the first time, at the World Theater
1983
- May 13: New York, New York - APHC’s first show in New York, at The Town Hall
1984
- July 7: 10 Years - APHC celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a live broadcast and holds its first Street Dance on the state capitol lawn in Saint Paul
1985
- November 4: Let’s Hear it for Lake Wobegon! - Garrison Keillor appears on the cover of Time magazine. Time features APHC and Garrison’s Lake Wobegon Days in a cover story. "Keillor clearly has touched people with something more than a deft comedian’s cleverness. Maybe they are transplanted Midwesterners, hoping sentimentally that the small towns are still there. Maybe they think that even if the nation is curling up and turning brown at the edges, the great Heartland still endures and is strong. Whatever the case, to be a Midwesterner, or to know someone who is, suddenly is almost fashionable." Read the full article at Time’s website. Thank you to Time for providing access to this article as part of our 40th anniversary celebration.
1986
- March 22: Pat Donohue - Pat Donohue appears on the show for the first time. He plays “Beetle Bomb Boogie” and (with Pop Wagner) “Knockin’ Down Windows and Tearin’ Down Doors”
- April 26: In Living Color - APHC’s first TV special (recorded for broadcast an hour after the live show finished) celebrates the grand re-opening of The World Theater
- August 30: A Night at the Fair - APHC’s first show at the Minnesota State Fair
1987
- February 14: Straight to Video - The first of 18 edited, time-delayed shows airs on The Disney Channel, leading up to the "final" show on June 13
- May 16: The Everly Brothers - The Everly Brothers join the show for the first time, at the World Theater
- June 13: So Long, Farewell - APHC’s farewell show from The World Theater
1989
- November 25: Trying Something New - After a two-year hiatus, the show moves to New York and acquires a new (temporary) name: American Radio Company of the Air.
1992
- October 10: Sue Scott - Sue Scott appears on the show for the first time, at the World Theater in Saint Paul
1993
- October 16: The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band - The first appearance of The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band
1994
- February 5: James Earl Jones - James Earl Jones appears as a guest on the show
- May 13: Home at the Fitz - The World Theater changes its name to the Fitzgerald Theater
- May 28: Tim Russell - Tim Russell appears on the show for the first time, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert hall in Portland, Oregon
- October 1: Ready for a Brand-New Beat - The first street dance after the show returns to Saint Paul
1995
- July 19: Going Digital - APHC’s first website goes live, as part of Minnesota Public Radio’s online presence
- October 28: Let’s Chat - Garrison hosts a live chat (via email) from backstage at The Fitzgerald Theater, with additional chats held the following winter and spring
1996
- February 24: Crossing the Border - APHC’s first non-United-States show, at the Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- October 5: Casting About - APHC’s first "web cast" (featuring regularly updated photos from cameras around the venue) goes live from The Fitzgerald Theater
- October 5: Live Online - For the first time, live broadcast audio is available on the APHC website
1997
- April 19: Gillian Welch - Gillian Welch visits the show for the first time, at the Fitzgerald Theater
1999
- April 17: T-TUTT - The overwhelming response to APHC’s first live online vote (for the fourth annual Talent from Towns Under 2000 contest) crashes the web servers
2000
- May 13: Randy Newman and Nickel Creek - Both Randy Newman and Nickel Creek appear on the show for the first time, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California
2002
- April 27: Kristin Chenoweth - Kristin Chenoweth makes her first appearance on the show, at The Town Hall in New York City
2003
- February 15: Old Crow Medicine Show - Old Crow Medicine Show visit APHC for the first time, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee
2005
- August 20: All Aboard - APHC’s first cruise departs from Boston, returning seven days later after a stops in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Eight more cruises follow over the years.
2006
- April 8: Brad Paisley - Brad Paisley makes his first appearance on the show, at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis
- June 9: On the Silver Screen - A Prairie Home Companion (The Movie), directed by Robert Altman (and featuring Woody Harrelson, L.Q. Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, and Lily Tomlin) premieres across the U.S.A.
2007
- June 9: Martin Sheen - Martin Sheen makes his first appearance as a guest on the show, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California
2010
- February 4: Live in HD! - APHC’s first Cinecast, broadcast to some 500 theaters across North America — another follwed on October 21.
2011
- January 15: Hey, Let’s Give the Kid a Chance - For the first time since anyone can remember, GK takes a break from his weekly radio duty and Sara Watkins fills in as guest host
2013
- June 8: Lily Tomlin - Lily Tomlin appears on the show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California
2014
- July 5: Back Where it All Began - APHC celebrates 40 years of radio</a> with a special 3-hour live broadcast from Macalester College in Saint Paul