Public Radio Legend Garrison Keillor Announces Retirement In AARP Bulletin Exclusive Interview

** Beloved radio host talks about leaving the limelight **

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Legendary radio host Garrison Keillor, 68, has told the AARP Bulletin that he plans to retire in the spring of 2013.  Speaking publicly for the first time about his retirement plans, the host of A Prairie Home Companion says that he must find his replacement first.

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"I am planning to retire in the spring of 2013, but first I have to find my replacement. I'm pushing forward and also I'm in denial. It's an interesting time of life," said Keillor.

The complete Q&A with the AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for Americans 50+, is available online now at www.aarp.org/bulletin.

Keillor created his show in 1974 in Minnesota. It is now broadcast on 590 public radio stations across the country and is heard by over 4 million people each week.

In this interview for the AARP Bulletin's online books column, "The Author Speaks," Keillor discusses his latest project, an anthology of poems titled Good Poems, American Places, elaborated on his love of poetry, his impressions of America, his legacy, dreams for the future—and on his views on stepping down from the limelight.

"When I was younger, I was all in favor of it, and now that I'm at that age, I'm not sure," he explained. "I sure don't want to make a fool of myself and be singing romantic duets with 25-year-old women when I'm 75. But on the other hand, it's so much fun. And in radio, the lighting is right."

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with nearly 35 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP