Monday, October 3, 2011

Andy Rooney Signs Off 60 Minutes

First Published: October 3, 2011 12:16 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Caption Television personality Andy Rooney attends a gala honoring Sumner Redstone presented by The Paley Center For Media at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on February 07, 2008 in NY CityAndy Rooney insisted hes not retiring. Hes a writer, and a writer never stops being a writer. Even so, he delivered his final weekly essay on 60 Minutes Sunday night, his last in his 33 years with the newsmagazine. It was a moment, he said he has dreaded. I wish I could do this forever. I cant, though, he said. CBS News announced last week that the 92-year-old Rooney would be stepping down from his well-entrenched berth on 60 Minutes after delivering his 1,097th commentary. I probably havent said anything here that you didnt already know or have already thought, he said. Thats what a writer does. A writers job is to tell the truth. Rooney began his long career by writing the words for people to say who were on TV or radio. Then when he began his weekly A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney in 1978, he began saying them on camera himself, though not as a television personality, but as a writer who reads what hes written. Rooney said in his farewell piece that he has lived a lucky life, luckier than most. But befitting his trademark crotchety nature, he voiced one parting complaint: He doesnt like being famous, nor does he like being bothered by fans. I spent my first 50 years trying to become well known as a writer, and the next 30 trying to avoid being famous, he said. I walk down the street now or go to a football game and people shout, Hey, Andy! And I hate that. So if you see him in a restaurant, Rooney said as he signed off, please, just let me eat my dinner. (Copyright 2011 by Associated Press) Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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