Bryan Alexander

USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — Garrison Keillor used his introduction to the showtune Friendship as a telling explanation for why he has devoted himself to the radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion for the past 42 years.

"Friendship, I believe in that," the self-effacing Keillor, 73, told the crowd at Hollywood Bowl Friday night. "That was the whole reason for starting a radio show — it was to get to meet people if you had no social skills. And people would walk up to you and say, 'I heard you on the radio.' This was the beginning of a conversation that would lead in all sorts of interesting directions."

Keillor's decades-spanning conversation came to an end as he hosted his final Prairie Home in front of a packed house of 18,000 fans for a show that aired Saturday.

Fittingly, this final conversation led in all sorts of interesting directions, too.

Prairie Home is normally performed live to radio, but Keillor said the pre-taping was necessary because the Southern California summer sun "does not allow matinees." He mentioned offhand that President Obama had called for a "little conversation" before the taping, which was heard only on the Saturday broadcast.

The "first-ever last show" was devoid of sentimentality as the proud Minnesotan incorporated duets with five favorite singing partners: Christine DiGiallonardo, Sarah Jarosz, Heather Masse, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins.

Keillor's own song Stories set the tone for humor and farewell with the refrain, "I never will forget those Saturdays."

"I was lucky to have the employment go on for 42 years, I never got fired, because I am the boss. And I had no regrets because of memory loss," Keillor sang. "And suddenly the day becomes the past. Four decades, and it went by so fast."

As a tearful Masse took the stage to sing Everytime We Say Goodbye with Keillor, he cracked, "Are you trying to make us cry?"

"We're going to miss you," said Masse. "I'm going to miss President Obama, that's what I'll miss," Keillor deflected.

Later, when the usual Prairie Home stage performers (Fred Newman, Tim Russell and Sue Scott) peppered Keillor with questions of how he felt about leaving, he said, "It feels like something ends and something else is about to happen."

Prairie Home continues in October with a new host, Nickel Creek's Chris Thile. Keillor will serve as a producer and is working on his memoirs as well as a movie screenplay.

He ended Friday's taping with a stage full of performers singing Next Time I'm in Town with the line, "There's one thing I promise you, that's another rendezvous, next time I'm in town." Keillor offered a simple wave of his hand and said, "Thank you, everybody, goodnight," as he walked off stage.

He returned for an encore, urging the crowd to sing an idiosyncratic medley of Goodnight Ladies that segued into Goodnight Irene, Happy Trails, Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Can't Help Falling in Love, The Parting Glass and ended with the gospel song Amen Chorus.

For the final Amen refrain, Keillor lifted his hands silently and let the audience sing him off.