He was the engineer for Garrison Keillor when the latter began his early morning radio show from the St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota studio.

Keith was one of the primary sound effects performers for the radio show A Prairie Home Companion and was often an actor in sketches written by Keillor.

When production of the radio program moved to St. Paul, Tom Keith continued to play Jim Ed who lived in the Hotel Transom with his pet chicken, Curtis.

[2] Minnesota Public Radio announced that Keith died October 30, 2011, at his home due to a massive pulmonary embolism.

[2][3] In 2012, A Prairie Home Companion released Tom Keith - Sound Effects Man, a CD collecting eleven of his featured performances from the live radio show.