Commentary
Tom Keith, a showman but not a showoff
by Dale ConnellyDale Connelly, formerly of Minnesota Public Radio, is news director at KFAI Radio in Minneapolis. He blogs at daleconnelly.com.
St. Paul, Minn. — It is strange to sit here thinking about my dear friend Tom Keith on Halloween night.
Tom was a nimble radio sound effects artist who could, in an instant, summon the mad scientist from his lab and release the vampire from his coffin. He could do the werewolf howl and knew how to chortle like a maniac who has found a loose block in the wall of his dungeon. All the standard sounds of this cartoonish observance were in Tom's wheelhouse, as they say, so you might expect him to embrace the day like Fezziwig loved Christmas. But Tom Keith was not a big fan of Halloween. A welcome and invited radio guest in thousands of homes, he frowned on the idea of strange people just showing up at the door.
On Halloween night Tom became your crabby neighbor who would turn out the lights and go sit in the back room until the bell stopped ringing. This curmudgeonly attitude coming from someone known for his sense of fun was unexpected, and he knew it. In fact, if you asked him to portray a crabby neighbor who would turn out the lights and go sit in the back room until the bell stopped ringing, he could do it with nothing more than a raised eyebrow, a shift in weight, a suspicious grunt, and it would be so perfectly on target that your stomach would ache from laughing. Tom Keith saw many things with an unusual clarity. He did not take himself seriously, and he didn't take you too seriously, either.
Like a lot of people, I first heard Tom as Garrison Keillor's sidekick on MPR's "Prairie Home Morning Show." He was Ed Jim Poole, a trainer of attack chickens. The name was later reshuffled to be Jim Ed Poole, though there was no real change in character. He gave us a sophisticated bumpkin and a dry wit comedian who appeared to say hilarious things by mistake. Or was it intentional? One could never be sure, and that mystery was an enduring part of the attraction. I worked side by side with Tom in a succession of small glass-walled rooms for five mornings a week over the course of more than 25 years, and I'm still wondering how funny he meant to be. Every broadcast was an expedition into unknown territories.
I wrote a pile of scripts for him. Many ideas were inspired by something I thought he could do, and he never let me down. Whatever I gave him got better with his contribution. The humor came in small moments -- the timing of a single word or a slight change in inflection. It came in large helpings with the sudden inexplicable arrival of a fleet of one-bladed helicopters and the falsely brave yell of a man changing his mind as he is about to go over the falls in a barrel. Tom's genius lay in the ability to render a complete realization of impossible illusions. Though he spent most of his adult life in radio, Tom Keith was, at heart, an illustrator.
He was also a softie, and a servant, always aware that his livelihood depended on an audience willing to pay the freight. Quite naturally he channeled his inner ex-Marine when he developed our Morning Show playlist guidelines, declaring that all listener requests must be turned in no later than 5 days before the date of broadcast. No exceptions. And with equal ease he tossed those regulations aside whenever anyone asked. If you were a grandmother needing to hear a specific song for your grandson's birthday sometime in the next half hour before the kid's bus came, Tom Keith was your man. The harsh rules he had written could not stand up to anyone's polite request.
Tom was not a prima donna or a showoff, which was ironic given that he had such showy talents. His name was known to millions as one of the last surviving radio sound men, but he was not terribly interested in increasing his profile. He said no to television projects with Hollywood stars, and decided to stop touring with Prairie Home Companion when he got tired of the road. He would turn down a commercial voice job because Schniederman's was delivering a couch that afternoon, and he had to be at home to meet the truck. Above all, he was a man of his word and he always did his job, which was to make the work in front of him as good as it could be. He was frugal, sensible, practical, and oh so Minnesotan.
Respect outward. Humor inward. Integrity always.
Cheers, Buddy. And bon voyage.
Comments (55)
Thanks for the great memories Tom & farewell. The sound effects in heaven just got a lot better.
Thanks, Dale, for sharing your memories of Jim Ed Poole. My condolences to you, his friend and artistic collaborater of so many years.
What a sad day for Tom's family, his friends and fans. Jim Ed never wanted to go anywhere if it meant he had to cross over 'The River', and now he went and crossed over a much bigger river than the Mississippi. Safe journey, Jim Ed. We will miss you.
How can this be? The world is a quieter, more lonely place without you, Tom. Thanks for all the joy you brought to us; and, for our lifetimes, pleasant, hilarious memories of your remarkable wit.
Thanks, Dale, for summing up so well the talents, bearing and idiosynchrasies of Tom Keith. I count myself fortunate to have known him and to have worked a little with him. A man who knew how to be funny and how to be, well, sensible, all in the same package.
I had managed not to weep since I heard the news...until now. My thoughts are with you, Dale, and all of Tom's friends and family. What a loss for all of us!
What a wonderful tribute, Mr. Connelly. It's strange that I'll not remember Mr. Keith as a "sound effects guy", but as a quirky, gentle, talented presence on what remains my favorite morning radio show. The intelligent and cordial banter was the show's hallmark, I think. I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Keith's passing.
When I first moved to Minnesota in the late '90s, The Morning Show played a huge part in making the state feel like home to me. Even though I never met Mr. Keith, I'm feeling like I've lost an old friend.
A moving tribute to an amazing man. Thank you, Mr. Connelly.
My son and I loved the Morning Show and I still miss it. We were introduced to so many musicians and weird new music through that show and loved Tom and Dale's commentary. I can't even imagine the Prairie Home show without Jim Ed. I just tried to call in and but I started to cry when asked for my comment so I decided to write. I used to get up early just to listen to the show in its entirety. My condolences to all at MPR and especially to Dale Connolly. We will miss him so much!
Garrison and Tom did an impromptu little skit for my parents 50th anniversary Dec 15, 1981 on the Morning Show. It was the greatest gift and so wonderfully given.
Wonderful toast to Tom Keith. And a testament to your talent and friendship. The radio personalities of yore displayed great human qualities not so prevelant now. I loved it so then and miss that now. You brought me thought provoking ideas and the Dancing With Bears and the Jello songs...my condolances to us all.
I'm not even a sports person, but I remember the Morning Show as Jim Ed Poole gave the baseball stats with the gentle canned sound of crowds cheering at a game in the background. I could hear that he loved what he was doing.
Thanks for being you, Tom, as well as everythng and everyone else. Argghhh, and bon voyage, dear fellow.
The Flying Centerfielder for the Lake Wobegon Whippets had me fooled. I thot he cared nothing about bsbl or any sport. He was an athlete?! Glad to know that - now! -- I once recorded a morning show (the earliest ones) in which he was giving scores and reports. He misspronounced Sam Perlosa (Twins pitcher) as "Sahm". Garrison said, "Oh, so it's Sahm Perlosa. You're going classy on me." I have it yet, on tape. I wrote to ask Garrison about using it and other things in a mass media class. He said just go ahead - we don't record any of our stuff. -- Oh, my goodness, I still use his pirate line: "Aint that right boys!?" and the boys reacting, often with enough anger to indicate disagreement. Cheers to Jim Ed's memory, the greatest.
My wife Claudia Russell and I perform folk music around the country. We had the privilege of appearing on the Morning Show hosted by Tom and Dale. We knew of Tom from PHC and found them both to be warm, friendly and funny. We sang our songs and we were honored to have spent time on the air with these two true broadcast legends. They made us feel like we were in the Big League! So long, Tom.
Thanks for the great on-air salute to a fine radio man and kind individual.
We will all miss Tom Keith. For many years, he and Dale Connelly created an entire world of characters and sounds accompanying the most eclectic selection of music around. I still miss the Morning Show, as do many thousands in Minnesota and beyond.
Your on-air salute is well-deserved, heartfelt and perfect.
Except for the ironic appreciation from Rochester by the overlord who killed the show before its time.
Many years ago, at an open house at MPR, I met Tom. He quickly made me feel at home, giving me what seemed to be insider information. I felt part of the team, a sharer of valuable secrets. And his voice had much more deep resonance in person than on radio. I started missing him as I left the studios.
Our community theater needed a sound effect for breaking glass. I thought of Tom immediately. He replied to my request with a wonderful history of all the techniques he had tried which did not have the right sound until he finally settled on a technique that worked OK. He said he was still trying to refine it further. I've listened to Tom for decades and will miss him.
A sad day. I've been a big fan of Tom's for many many years. We will truly miss you my friend, and the laughter you provided to our otherwise ordinary lives.
I was in college radio and wrote to Dale and Jim asking if I could meet them. They agreed . I feel saddened today, but lucky that I was able to meet one of my heroes in broadcasting. I hope MPR considers making a "Best of Tom Keith" compilation! Including is work on the morning show. I remember laughing to tears some mornings.
Strange, but at a time like this, I think what Tom would like to hear as he "crosses over" is "FORE!!!!"
Our household is grieving ever since we heard the news about Tom. Thank you, Dale Connelly, for the tribute and thanks to all the MPR friends who shared their memories. Condolences to Tom's family and vast network of friends.
Thank you Dale, for this lovely tribute to Tom. As usual, your eloquence, intelligence, humor and good taste shine though in your writing. I miss The Morning Show--there is nothing like it--and no one like you, or Tom.
Thanks so much for your wonderful retrospective, Dale. Anyone who listened to your morning show or Garrison's earlier version knew Tom Keith, and would have loved to have known him as a friend. I remember the morning many years ago when Garrison's car broke down on the way in, and couldn't hitch a ride; you could actually hear the wheels turning in Tom's head as he hovered between concern over Garrison and delight in maybe having his own show for a morning ...
MPR's Morning Show was probably one of the most important supporters of alternative and folk music in this area. The selections played on air, and the live interviews Dale and Tom did with musicians were instrumental in exposing audiences in this area to a wide range of music. Tom Keith was a vital part of that effort. Always friendly and welcoming, Tom's talents and personality will be sadly missed not only by those who came in direct contact with him, but with the broader listener and music community as well. Rest in peace, Tom, sorry you had to leave so soon. We'll miss you.
My MPR Radio heart is broken, Jim Ed, Dale and Garrison are part of my past and present.
I'm so sad to hear about Mr. Keith... I'll never forget listening to him imitate geese & pickup trucks & crazy people on the "Rhubarb Pie" segment of a Prairie Home Companion. He really made the show come to life for me as a kid & I remain thankful to him for helping shape my imagination.
I sobbed when I heard. Then I thought of captin billy and the boys and laughed.His generosity will always be remembered. He was willing to sit with 35 high school students to discuss sound effects. We needed preperation to use audio with art books we were creating. Tom gentley provided that guidence.
A fitting memorial must be created.
He was wonderful, especially his pirate. A little magic has gone out of the world. Bill Waggoner in Sioux Falls
Who else could make the sound of a skeptical mouth pigeon? Who else but Dale would dream up such a creature? I'll never forget the Morning Show.
We're missing Tom/Jim Ed here in Shanghai, China. Ain't that right boys!!!
Thanks Dale for a great article. I've known Tom for over 40 years and realized that the only job he ever had since college other than at MPR was as a camp counselor for the Green Bay YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li Ya in the 1970s. He would steal the show as he entertained staff and campers at campfires. That staff has remained close all these years and will truly miss him - especially at our New Years Eve party where he would leave by 8pm to go to bed. Words can't express how much we will miss him.
I introduced myself once to Tom at the Scottish fair at Macalester. He was gracious and shy to think that someone knew and admired his work. He had a great tam-o-shanter that I liked enough to purchase one just like it. Like thousands of other fans, I can't believe how often I've thought of "Jim Ed" since we heard the sad news. Sympathy to his loved ones and all of you who really knew him.
Susie & I enjoyed 17 years in MN. Sorta. The best part of every day started with Dale & Jim Ed. By the time we got to work our attitude was adjusted and we could even handle the weather. Mostly. Tom was also always a treat on the PHC. We aren't ready for a world without him. Aloha, Tom.
Tom Keith and Garrison Keillor were my introduction to Minnesota Public Radio and charming characters in the late 1970s. Jim Ed and Garrison offered their audience music uniquely fun and interesting--and repeated it at the request of their loyal listeners. Jim Ed and Dale continued the legacy, but made the tradition their own. Jim Ed added color and flair to the wonderful wordsmith talents of his pardners on the Morning Show. Tom, your gifts will be sorely missed. Glad I caught you on your final PHC show! Hope your family knows how much you were loved by people who knew you through your voice and spirit even though we never met you face to face.
Like Tom's Morning Show character "Dr. Larry Kyhl (Kile?) PhD," I'll always think of Tom like Dr. K would describe one of his GenWay creations: "(Tom)'ll be GREEN...forever!"
I guess this dashes any hope of a reunion broadcast of the Morning Show. It is the end of an era. Thank you Dale for writing such an eloquent piece about your longtime partner, Jim Ed Poole. I have listened to your show from the start, made sure my kids listened every morning growing up, and our lives our richer for it. I think of the Morning Show every day and how much we miss it. We will miss you, Jim Ed.
What a lovely tribute to a great man! Mr. Connelly, you are such an excellent writer.
I loved the Morning Show--all the funny skits and characters and all the interesting, quirky music. I particularly appreciated that they took requests.
I'm a member of a traditional group that sings from a book called The Sacred Harp. We have a big convention twice a year to which everyone is invited. Often, I'd ask Tom and Dale to play a Sacred Harp song--not their usual thing--and announce the time and date of our event. They did this for us several times.
Today at our regular meeting, we sang a song for Mr. Keith, his family and his friends. This is our way of remembering people.
Thank you, Jim Ed and Dale. The Sacred Harp singers of St. Paul and Minneapolis are grateful to you for your support. And as for me, I will always remember the music, the characters, the fun and the joy that the Morning Show gave me.
Ain't that right, boys? You bet, cap'n--it sure is.
Right on point, Dale. I'm not a morning person, but when the radio clicked on to one of the sketches you guys were doing, I could get up with a smile, ready to face the day despite the early hour. Tom was one-of-a-kind. While he will certainly be missed, your ability to capture his quirky qualities helps us to catalog the many reasons that we have to give thanks for his life.
I loved the Morning show and still miss it. I loved your tribute,Dale. One of the funniest parts of those skits you guys did was when you would laugh because Jim Ed Poole's character said something that cracked you up! So many favorites-the pirates, the dentist with the pigeons in the patients teeth...such an original and unique team. I was saddened at the loss,but really sorry for the loss you and those who worked with him must be feeling. Such great memories though that can only make a person smile.
A very nice tribute, Dale. We loved the Morning Show, and we still miss it. Rest in peace, Jim Ed
Like others, the morning show helped me make the move from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Twin Cities. We listened faithfully every morning and grew to love the songs and artists you so lovingly presented and shared with us. Thank you for your work, vision and your words. Tom's sudden death and your remembrances remind us how fragile life is and how important it is to let people know how much they mean to us. Thank you, Dale!
I remember the day I got my boys up early to see you, Dale, and Tom do the morning show live in the HS Auditorium here in Hibbing. It was such a thrill to see our favorite show and share our laughter and cheers. I still wake my youngest up with the Sons of the Pioneers on a regular basis - he's 19 and grumbles at the early reveille but then a wide grin crosses his face remembering the fun of starting each day with the antics and music of The Morning Show. It helped bring us together as a family. We have most of the Keepers CDs, but we would love to have one of Dale and Jim Ed doing their bits. Our condolences to you, Dale, and to Tom's family and friends.
Thank you, Dale, for this wonderful tribute. Who knew one life could make such a difference? My 36-year-old son called me with the news of Jim Ed's death, a death in our family. We listened, watched, and enjoyed the Morning Show from the beginning. We also made sure to tune in to any other show on which you and Tom performed, including your Christmas special at the Fitz a number of years ago. The helium-laced number dissolved us into helpless lumps of mirth along with the rest of the audience. Sometimes I'm still in bed "When The Prairie Sun Climbs Out of the Hay", and I think how sweet life can be. We share in your grief, and send our sympathy to all the other MPR folks who loved and worked with him.
Thank you so much, Dale, for capturing the flavor of Jim Ed's talents. It is a treat to have a place to reflect with other folks to whom Tom was so special. I have been wanting to talk about my sadness with others who understand. A major Loss to all of us.
Thank you for the tribute. I so loved the morning show and still miss it greatly. What a loss to our community and now Tom Keith. Rest in peace. My sympathy to family and friends. Tom Keith sounded like one of the good guys.
Tom Keith enriched my life. My sympathy to his family and the lucky people he considered friends.
Tom was a friend even to those of us who did not know him intimately. I had the pleasure of working with him daily in 1979 and "seeing him around" in subsequent years. Yes, the world lost a great radio talent with Tom's passing. But more sadly, it lost a great human being. Adieu, Tom. I'll see you at that matinee Twins game in the sky. Outdoors, of course.
I just heard about Tom's passing from NBC national news. How appropriate that a radio person should have the TV paying homage. I left MN twice and missed the Morning Show so much that it was a factor of moving back. Baseball scores will never be the same. What a great wit. I am so sad and sad too for his family, his many co-workers and friends. Is the 'ON AIR light now off? Yes.
My husband and I were saddened when we heard of Tom Keith's death. We were faithful listeners to the early days of the Morning Show - it birghten the cold winter mornings out on the plains. We feel we have shared his life-and did see him when the show came to Fargo-Moorhead. How wonderful he was to share his and talent life with us all.
Thank you, Dale Connelly, for writing about Tom Keith. And thanks for your kindness to me when I volunteered during Minnesota Public Radio pledge drives.
My husband and I are so sad to hear of Tom Keith's passing and we send our prayers to MPR staff, Dale and to Tom's family. I have been a public radio junkie since the 1970's - in large part due to the connection we felt listening to the Morning Show. We are MN natives, who have lived in different parts of the US - but always looked forward to "coming home" to Jim Ed and Dale. I am a Lutheran pastor, and included Tom Keith in my All Saints sermon yesterday. If all of us could imitate his humility and his gift for helping people get up in the morning and do what needs to be done - with a happy heart - the world would truly be a better place.
Thank you, Dale, for the wonderful tribute. It was partly due to programming like the Morning Show and Prairie Home that I found the courage to leave upstate New York for Minnesota; later, when career choices prompted my move to upper Michigan, the Morning Show remained my link to a world I loved and missed greatly. The radio world has lost a great talent.
All of my familys' birthdays came around one 4 wk period every year. I would request a song after song sometimes without knowing the name, something like, can you play the song about the lady that talks to flowers, and the next day, there that song would be. It made a dull birthday a big deal. Jim Ed always outdid my request. We revolved going to the fair to the day the Morning show would be there. We'd wake up at 5 and get there for the whole thing. It is my favorite fair memory. The final Morning Show at the Fitzgerald was my the all time best. I skipped work, took my kids out of school and watched the best musicians give tribute to my favorite morning show. I last saw Jim Ed after the show, with his brief case and woolen coat walking out of the theater. I said thanks and he waved and replied back like I personally knew him. We have missed the morning show for several years now. Radio Heartland does a great job but I still wish I could hear Bucky, or Dr. Science. Thank you.
I don't remember how I found "The Morning Show" but it became my "happy morning wake-up call" for many years. So many good memories, such as finding my daughter had requested a song for my birthday, laughing when I thought of my own bachelor Uncle Walter "dancing with bears," & hearing the pirate's view of life. I first heard Israel K.sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on the Morning Show and thought it was one of the best songs I'd ever heard, then heard it on a helicopter tour over Kauai, then sobbed at my desk at work when I heard it at the close of the MPR noon tribute to Tom. Dale, you and Tom created something SO very special that will always be in the hearts of those who found you. My mornings have not been the same since you left. Tom's talents and spirit will certainly be missed. As so many have said - he was certainly one of the "good guys."
I have memories of Jim Ed Poole dating back to gradeschool when I would listen at home and then hear the show reenacted by the highschoolers on the bus. It felt like a rite of passage when I learned Tom Keith's real name and listened to the show faithfully. Your writing is a testament to friendship and collegial collaboration. I am sorry for the loss of your collaborator and friend. I send out thoughts to his family and friends.
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