Who told Garrison Keillor he could sing? Do the women he has duets with ever...

[TreasonousBastard]

fire their agents for not putting a NO DUET! clause in their appearance deals?

Once again today he stepped on some gorgeous soprano voice by blowing the TIMING fergodsakes. She knew her stuff enough to not let it trip her up but it was once again embarrassing. It's usually the key, or phrasing, but to miss two beats?

Patty Loveless, Frederika von Stade... just who does he think he is trying to sing with them? And Kristen Chenoweth! Didn't he know what kind of enormous voice comes out of that tiny body?

Has he ever done a duet with a guy? Or is he afraid one will deck him when he fucks it up?

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. As homespun backporch as his voice is, I'm willing to bet that more than a few of those women...

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...mark down, at least in their mental diaries, this personal highlight:
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"I got to sing with Garrison Keillor."
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Look at all the stars that did Sesame Street. Ray Fucking Charles did Sesame Street.
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Do you think to sell records? Do you think to further their musical careers?
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Or do you think so that they could have a great story for their friends and peers
and children and nieces and nephews, etc. about "the day I sang with Kermit"?
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.

[hippywife]

3. I whole-heartedly agree with this statement.

People have been raising their voices in song together for time out of mind, even those who can't always being encouraged to join in.

Garrison Keillor is a national treasure, one that is aging, who has done nothing but add to the music of this country with his voice and his appreciation for and advancing of independent singer/songwriters and musicians.

He deserves all the praise that can be garnered for him. Many people have greater faults than his.

[Orrex]

5. Indeed many have greater faults than Keillor, but that doesn't mean we should celebrate those faults

Let us celebrate virtue rather than celebrate fault. Whatever his many virtues, Keillor's singing voice is a terrible fault.

[Kali]

9. I agree with both of you

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Kermit the Fucking Frog is a fucking puppet and Ray Fucking Charles...

and anyone else singing with Kermit, Miss Piggy, or anyfuckingthing else on Sesame Street should be honored that the kids watching will get it and maybe get some early learning to appreciate some good music.

Garrison Keillor, on the other hand, is an adult playing to other adults and should know better. So should the guests he attacks with his ever failing attempts at singing.

[MiddleFingerMom]

23. ...and he's got fucking pointy knees!!!!!!!!! n/t

[XemaSab]

2. I saw him live and he did great

But I agree, the duets are another story.

[Orrex]

4. My god he's a horrible singer. A Prairie Home Companion is the worst thing on the airwaves

I would actually rather listen to Rush Limbaugh than A Prairie Home Companion, because Rush doesn't make me feel embarrassed to be a Liberal.

Keillor is to be commended for The Writer's Almanac, and his writing is excellent. But as the hands-on host of a smug, self-congratulatory variety show, he leaves me cold.

[Bucky]

6. Thank you. I literally vomit my pancreas up every week when I tune into his crapfest.

I have a friend who works as a suicide prevention specialist in a hospital trauma center. She says that she and her colleagues refer to late Sunday afternoons as the "Keillor hour" for all the slashed wrists and self-gouged eardrum cases that come rolling through the emergency doors whenever that audible monster attempts one of his so-called duets.

It's no wonder the Democrats lost the last election, given the rising mortality rate among public radio audiences. God save us from this monster before he warbles again!

[Kali]

8. ...

:rofl:

[hippywife]

10. Bucky...

you have no taste and even less class. :rofl: :hi:

[TreasonousBastard]

17. .!

[nolabear]

27. Now that's perspective.

:rofl:

[tigereye]

13. I love the show itself- I think it's very funny

but when he tries to sing with really good singers, it's like nails on a chalkboard... :scared: And it's too bad, because he clearly loves music and is a great champion of it.

[Odin2005]

15. That's it, you guys get in line for an ass-kicking!

[whistler162]

7. I will hide this disastrous thread

instead of being tombstone for profanity.

Garrison ROCKS and so does A Prairie Home Companion

Uff Da

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. I love Garrison Keillor. No, he doesn't sing especially well.

That's part of his shtick, though -- a big, shambling, kind of doofus-y guy. But he's a fine writer, not to mention a devout liberal.

[Blue_Tires]

24. +1

In the meantime, I'll calm myself with a box of Powdermilk Biscuits...They'll give me the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.

[tigereye]

12. you are just realizing this?

:hi: :rofl:


It's kind of sad, since I know he took singing lessons, but he really shouldn't sing with professionals. I found myself cringing most times that he was singing with others. It's not so bad when he sings alone. But hey, it's his show, and they don't seem to mind, so what the hell!


On edit, he clearly loves music and has done a lot to champion it and music is supposed to be for fun. But I really think he was a better singer before he took lessons!

[TreasonousBastard]

18. I've hated his singing for years, but was...

in the car listening to PHC and the woman I was with agreed that she thought for years that he's the worst singer on the planet.

(He took LESSONS and sounds like that? Yikes!)

[tigereye]

30. yeah, his voice is more resonant and I think he had some training (read that

somewhere)

He's just always flat. (not that I have perfect pitch by any means...)

[MilesColtrane]

14. I've actually injured myself diving for the radio dial in an attempt to...

prevent myself from hearing Keillor sing.

Surely someone over the years has had the balls to tell him that he sucks.

He either thinks he can sing despite the evidence, or he knows he can't and simply doesn't care.

Either way, the fact that he tries to sing on EVERY SINGLE GODDAMN SHOW, and with professionals, is evidence that his ego is self inflated way beyond your average, ordinary asshole.

[TreasonousBastard]

20. A while back I was reading some time ago that when he goes back home there's a Norwegian term for...

"too big for his britches" or maybe just "arrogant asshole" that the locals use for him.

Most of the show I still like, but that damn singing...

[kayakjohnny]

19. It's HIS show.

Maybe he feels he can do want he wants.

All that applause at the end of his bits has to count for something.

[struggle4progress]

21. I think it's fun, kinda like cornbread right out of the oven on a cool evening

[Manifestor_of_Light]

22. He's good enough to sing backup for Thomas Handsome.

Thomas Hampson is a famous baritone who sings folk songs as well. He #IS# handsome, thus his nickname amongst the opera groupies.

He did a CD of Stephen Foster songs (Beautiful Dreamer) and Keillor sang backup on "Hard Times will Come Again No More" and did a fine job.

Website information:
http://www.thomashampson.com/1992/01/29/american-dreamer-songs-of-stephen-foster/

[Flaxbee]

25. the singing I don't mind so much - but the nose whistling bothers me

I think everyone who comes onto the show knows what they're in for, in terms of Garrison singing on them, over them, through them, whatever.

But if he hasn't blown his nose and I have to hear nose whistling? Can't stand it.

[Sabriel]

26. Someone needs a shot of ketchup

Or a visit from the Catchup Advisory Board.

[Demoiselle]

31. When I'm not in the mood, there isn't enough catchup in the world.

Sometimes I'm fine with the very very funny Keillor and his Prairie Home ...but then next week, I can't shut the smug bastard down fast enough.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

28. I saw the show in person last year.

I thought he was great. Obviously not a professional singer or anything, but suitable for the format and, I think, a nice complement to his duet partners.

[nolabear]

29. I have loved that show for what seems like a hundred years, and Keillor just as long.

A great singer? Nah. But what he's done for some old styles of music that are wonderful but get little attention, like folk and gospel and polka and klezmer and many others is so wonderful that I'll cut his "Uncle Gary performing at the family reunion" voice a whole lot of slack.

Btw I love his speaking voice and storytelling style. His tendency to set up a point and then take detours and switchbacks and finally sew it together in a way that makes perfect sense is smart and warm and tremendously appealing to me. And I'm very happy that people still respond to storytelling. For me, it's heaven.