Almost 50 years ago — on July 6, 1974 — author and humorist Garrison Keillor hosted the first broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, and the perennially popular weekly radio show remained on the air until July of 2016. The idea for APHC grew from a piece he wrote for The New Yorker magazine about the Grand Ole Opry’s final show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

The APHC 50th Anniversary Tour leads up to the half-century milestone in the summer of 2024. On January 11, Garrison and his rollicking troupe will be at the historic Ryman. Joining them are singers Heather Masse and Christine DiGiallonardo, mandolin ace Sam Bush and fiddle maestro Stuart Duncan.

The Royal Academy of Actors (Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and sound-effects wizard Fred Newman) will be there, along with music director/keyboardist Richard Dworsky leading the band. What a show!