Born June 1, 1926, died July 3,2012, Andy Griffith was a man who most came to know and love as the star of the 1960–1968 situation comedy The Andy Griffith Show. Although some of his earlier work may not be as well known as his famed role as the calm cool headed sheriff of Mayberry, I think it would be well worth it for fans of his to check out some of his earliest works as a monologist.
My favorite of these long stories is What it Was, Was Football, a hysterical monolog where a rural country boy tries to explain football. To hear for yourself his brilliant delivery technique, you can check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxLxTZHKM8
Perhaps his best known work was his Television show “The Andy Griffith Show” with the amazing talent of his co-star Don Knotts, in the role of Deputy Barney Fife, Taylor's best friend and partner. He was also Taylor's cousin in the show.
Other costars included Ron Howard (then known as Ronny Howard), who played Taylor's only child, Opie Taylor, and Jim Nabors, who played Gomer Pyle.
It might surprise some people to know that in spite of his long career in radio, television, and even movies, Andy never won an Emmy, although he did go on to win many other awards such as:
A Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album for I Love to Tell the Story — 25 Timeless Hymns in 1997.
In October 2002, an 11-mile (18 km) stretch of US Highway 52 that passes through Mount Airy was dedicated as the Andy Griffith Parkway.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush on November 9, 2005. (This is the highest award a civilian can win in America)
In 2007, he was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
According to an article on Yahoo. TV at: http://tv.yahoo.com/photos/andy-griffith-1926-2012-five-surprising-facts-slideshow/
“He was a Southern boy through and through, Griffith didn’t just play a good old country boy on TV; he proudly celebrated his North Carolina heritage throughout his life. Born in Mount Airy, NC in 1926, Griffith graduated from the University of North Carolina and set his “Andy Griffith Show” in his home state, in the fictional town of Mayberry (said to be based on Mount Airy). And he was a tar heel right up until the end; he passed away on July 3 in the town of Manteo, NC.”
Goodbye Andy, we will miss your timeless sense of humor, honor, and small town loyalty.
I had no idea that Andy Griffith had passed away. In celebrating Independence Day, we had been out of town and obviously not listening to any form of news. What a sad loss for our country. It amazes me how many generations some TV personality can reach throughout their lives. We are fortunate to have had the characters those like Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, and Jim Nabors portrayed in such simple yet meaningful roles. I know of no one who does not know who they were. I knew of his Grammy for his singing but not of the other events he was honored for. I hope others can appreciate the great man that he was and try to be that type of individual in their own lives. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so sad that he is no longer a gem on this earth. One of my many favorite memories that I have with my grandma is watching Matlock with her. It was one of her favorite shows, and was one of the first "adult" shows that I was allowed to watch. Griffith had so much class, to have a lawyer show that was safe for kids to watch says a lot. He was definitely an American legend, and he is and will be missed.
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