Andy Griffith dead at 86 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Penny Lane · 07-03-2012, 10:49 AM

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...6-report-says/

Penny Lane · 07-03-2012, 12:24 PM

Update from USA Today

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T_McYPXl-BY

Family Ties Forever! · 07-03-2012, 04:37 PM

RIP

link

Actor Andy Griffith dead at 86
TV icon played Sheriff Andy Taylor, Matlock
Author: By Michael Pearson CNN
Posted: Jul 3 2012 11:14 AM CDT Updated: Jul 3 2012 2:56 PM CDT

(CNN) - Actor Andy Griffith, who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, died Tuesday at the age of 86, his family said. Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island, according to Dare County, North Carolina, Sheriff J.D. "Doug" Doughtie. He passed away after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoake Island," the family said in a statement. "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," his wife, Cindi Griffith, said in the statement issued through the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Best known for his role on "The Andy Griffith Show," the University of North Carolina music graduate also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television series "Matlock" during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer. "North Carolina has lost its favorite son," Gov. Beverly Perdue said. "Throughout his career, he represented everything that was good about North Carolina: a small town boy and UNC graduate who took a light-hearted approach to some of the attributes he grew up with and turned them into a spectacularly successful career," she said. "And regardless of where that career took him, he always came back to North Carolina and spent his final years here."

Actor and director Ron Howard, who played Griffith's son, Opie Taylor, on "The Andy Griffith Show," said he is "forever grateful" to the actor. "His pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations & shaped my life," Howard said on Twitter. President Barack Obama also noted Griffith's death, saying the actor had "warmed the hearts of Americans everywhere." "A performer of extraordinary talent, Andy was beloved by generations of fans and revered by entertainers who followed in his footsteps," Obama said. President George W. Bush honored Griffith in 2005 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "demonstrating the finest qualities of our country and for a lifetime of memorable performances that have brought joy to millions of Americans of all ages."

A member of the Televison Hall of Fame, Griffith also was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. His 1996 album, "I Love to Tell the Story -- 25 Timeless Hymns," netted him a Grammy Award. Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1926, Griffith graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1949 with a degree in music. He originally wanted to be a preacher, he told American Profile magazine in a 2005 piece. "I went to the bishop and said, 'Can I major in music and still be a minister?' and he said no," the magazine quoted him as saying. "I went back and prayed over it for a couple of weeks, and I went back to the bishop and said, 'I'm going to major in music.' So that was it."

After teaching high school music for a few years, he began his entertainment career with a traveling act with his first wife, Barbara Edwards, according to biography.com. After regular appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," Griffith appeared in the 1955 Broadway play "No Time for Sergeants," for which he received a Tony nomination. He later appeared in a film version of the play. He was again nominated for a Tony in 1960 for the play "Destry Rides Again." He made his film debut in the critically acclaimed "A Face in the Crowd," but it was the 1960 debut of "The Andy Griffith Show" that brought his greatest fame.

In the show, Griffith played the amiable sheriff of an small, idyllic town modeled on his own birthplace of Mount Airy. The gentle comedy continues to be broadcast and retains a following, including "Rerun Watchers Club" chapters around the country and on Facebook. After his eight-year run as Taylor, the actor tried to break out of his mold as a genial father figure with mixed success. "I wanted to prove that I could play something else, but there were 249 episodes out there of 'Mayberry,' and it was aired every day. It was hard to escape," Griffith said, according to a quote on IMDb.

A 2010 role in a television commercial for the Department of Health and Human Resources generated some political controversy. In the commercial, Griffith praised the Affordable Care Act and its reforms. Department officials said the ad was meant to educate the public, but congressional Republicans said it was partisan propaganda and demanded that it be pulled. Griffith came down with the muscular disease Guillain-Barre syndrome in 1983, according to biography.com, but made a full recovery. In 2000, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery, and had hip surgery following a fall in 2007, according to his IMDb profile.

Griffith's first marriage ended in divorce in 1972. He married again in 1976 but divorced after five years, according to biography.com. In 1983, he married Cindi Knight, his current wife. Griffith is survived by two children from his first marriage, according to the biography site. A third son died of an overdose at the age of 36, according to American Profile.

Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.

AB · 07-03-2012, 04:58 PM

Very sad news, may he rest in peace.

phoebe7165 · 07-03-2012, 05:50 PM

Damn, Andy just had a birthday!! I truly thought he was going to outlive them all, even Ron Howard!!!

The sis is a huge fan of TAGS, I can watch it, too, just not in marathon style, but I did like Andy. We even went to Mayberry Days one year in Mount Airy, which was alot of fun.

George Lindsey, who played Goober just passed away recently, too.

RIP Andy.

James28 · 07-03-2012, 07:14 PM

It just turns out that all good things come to an end, and 86 years is the finish of Andy Samuel Griffith.

[-Kelsey-] · 07-04-2012, 05:54 AM

Thank you for all the laughs Andy Griffith, you will be missed. RIP

80sTrivia · 07-04-2012, 06:05 AM

It's so sad to say goodbye to such a legend as Andy. His rich, wonderful legacy of down home, quality entertainment will live on, however. Rest in Peace, Andy, you will certainly be missed but never forgotten:

http://www.migueldante.com/2012/07/g...th-passes.html

Janice · 07-04-2012, 03:44 PM

It seems we're losing all the old-timers. Andy's Mayberry felt so real in our hearts. He was a terrific actor, and he'll be greatly missed.

AKA · 07-04-2012, 04:21 PM

I was saddened yesterday to read of his passing. Andy Griffith always seemed to me like one of the most kind, genuine men in show business. His legacy is Mayberry, a world and a time for which we all yearn. A place that doesn't exist, but should.

I wonder how many people around the world whistled the famous theme to The Andy Griffith Show yesterday. Here's it is, with lyrics sung by Mr. Griffith, himself.

Rest in peace, Mr. Griffith. And thank you.

Tubehead · 07-04-2012, 11:45 PM

i nvercard for andy griffith show i alsway like matlock better

phoebe7165 · 07-05-2012, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad

I wonder how many people around the world whistled the famous theme to The Andy Griffith Show

When I was in high school, our jazz band would play the Andy Griffith theme just for fun!!!

isiahthomas · 07-07-2012, 01:21 PM

RIP Andy Griffith. I'm a fan of his. I bought his Matlock tv show first season on dvd several months ago. I loved Matlock. It was funny seeing Ron Howard as a kid on his show. Ron's voice as a kid was adorable. I didn't know Don Knotts was on Andy's show before he was on Three's Company tv show. RIP to Don too. He was very funny on Three's Company.

GARFIELDKOOL · 07-09-2012, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

RIP Andy Griffith. I'm a fan of his. I bought his Matlock tv show first season on dvd several months ago. I loved Matlock. It was funny seeing Ron Howard as a kid on his show. Ron's voice as a kid was adorable. I didn't know Don Knotts was on Andy's show before he was on Three's Company tv show. RIP to Don too. He was very funny on Three's Company.

Damn man, where you been all these years?! You didn't know Don Knotts was on Andy Griffith?! It's been played for decades that all generations should have know that, whether you were a fan of the show or not. Everyone knows Barney Fife! lol

Reverend Jim · 07-09-2012, 10:56 AM

07-03-2012, 10:49 AM	#1
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,048	Andy Griffith dead at 86 http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...6-report-says/
	__________________ Vulgarity is no substitute for wit- Lady Violet Crawley

07-03-2012, 04:37 PM	#3
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	RIP link Actor Andy Griffith dead at 86 TV icon played Sheriff Andy Taylor, Matlock Author: By Michael Pearson CNN Posted: Jul 3 2012 11:14 AM CDT Updated: Jul 3 2012 2:56 PM CDT (CNN) - Actor Andy Griffith, who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry, died Tuesday at the age of 86, his family said. Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island, according to Dare County, North Carolina, Sheriff J.D. "Doug" Doughtie. He passed away after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoake Island," the family said in a statement. "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," his wife, Cindi Griffith, said in the statement issued through the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Best known for his role on "The Andy Griffith Show," the University of North Carolina music graduate also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television series "Matlock" during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer. "North Carolina has lost its favorite son," Gov. Beverly Perdue said. "Throughout his career, he represented everything that was good about North Carolina: a small town boy and UNC graduate who took a light-hearted approach to some of the attributes he grew up with and turned them into a spectacularly successful career," she said. "And regardless of where that career took him, he always came back to North Carolina and spent his final years here." Actor and director Ron Howard, who played Griffith's son, Opie Taylor, on "The Andy Griffith Show," said he is "forever grateful" to the actor. "His pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations & shaped my life," Howard said on Twitter. President Barack Obama also noted Griffith's death, saying the actor had "warmed the hearts of Americans everywhere." "A performer of extraordinary talent, Andy was beloved by generations of fans and revered by entertainers who followed in his footsteps," Obama said. President George W. Bush honored Griffith in 2005 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "demonstrating the finest qualities of our country and for a lifetime of memorable performances that have brought joy to millions of Americans of all ages." A member of the Televison Hall of Fame, Griffith also was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. His 1996 album, "I Love to Tell the Story -- 25 Timeless Hymns," netted him a Grammy Award. Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1926, Griffith graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1949 with a degree in music. He originally wanted to be a preacher, he told American Profile magazine in a 2005 piece. "I went to the bishop and said, 'Can I major in music and still be a minister?' and he said no," the magazine quoted him as saying. "I went back and prayed over it for a couple of weeks, and I went back to the bishop and said, 'I'm going to major in music.' So that was it." After teaching high school music for a few years, he began his entertainment career with a traveling act with his first wife, Barbara Edwards, according to biography.com. After regular appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," Griffith appeared in the 1955 Broadway play "No Time for Sergeants," for which he received a Tony nomination. He later appeared in a film version of the play. He was again nominated for a Tony in 1960 for the play "Destry Rides Again." He made his film debut in the critically acclaimed "A Face in the Crowd," but it was the 1960 debut of "The Andy Griffith Show" that brought his greatest fame. In the show, Griffith played the amiable sheriff of an small, idyllic town modeled on his own birthplace of Mount Airy. The gentle comedy continues to be broadcast and retains a following, including "Rerun Watchers Club" chapters around the country and on Facebook. After his eight-year run as Taylor, the actor tried to break out of his mold as a genial father figure with mixed success. "I wanted to prove that I could play something else, but there were 249 episodes out there of 'Mayberry,' and it was aired every day. It was hard to escape," Griffith said, according to a quote on IMDb. A 2010 role in a television commercial for the Department of Health and Human Resources generated some political controversy. In the commercial, Griffith praised the Affordable Care Act and its reforms. Department officials said the ad was meant to educate the public, but congressional Republicans said it was partisan propaganda and demanded that it be pulled. Griffith came down with the muscular disease Guillain-Barre syndrome in 1983, according to biography.com, but made a full recovery. In 2000, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery, and had hip surgery following a fall in 2007, according to his IMDb profile. Griffith's first marriage ended in divorce in 1972. He married again in 1976 but divorced after five years, according to biography.com. In 1983, he married Cindi Knight, his current wife. Griffith is survived by two children from his first marriage, according to the biography site. A third son died of an overdose at the age of 36, according to American Profile. Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.
	__________________ Jenny

07-03-2012, 05:50 PM	#5
phoebe7165 Pop Culture Goddess Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 15, 2003 Location: US of A - the country of "really bad music" lovers Posts: 11,600	Damn, Andy just had a birthday!! I truly thought he was going to outlive them all, even Ron Howard!!! The sis is a huge fan of TAGS, I can watch it, too, just not in marathon style, but I did like Andy. We even went to Mayberry Days one year in Mount Airy, which was alot of fun. George Lindsey, who played Goober just passed away recently, too. RIP Andy.
	__________________ Rest in Peace to my Penny-pie. You really were a GREAT dog. I'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge. Penny 9/1/97-12/9/09 Rescued animals make the best pets. Opt to Adopt!!

07-03-2012, 07:14 PM	#6
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,976	It just turns out that all good things come to an end, and 86 years is the finish of Andy Samuel Griffith.
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

07-04-2012, 06:05 AM	#8
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	It's so sad to say goodbye to such a legend as Andy. His rich, wonderful legacy of down home, quality entertainment will live on, however. Rest in Peace, Andy, you will certainly be missed but never forgotten: http://www.migueldante.com/2012/07/g...th-passes.html
	__________________ Perfect Gift Books for Pop Culture Fanatics: Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Book The Bouquet Residence: A Keeping Up Appearances Trivia Book Cooking With the Golden Girls: Fun & Delicious Recipes from a Hilarious Miami Kitchen Love in the Afternoon: The Ultimate Soap Opera Trivia Book The Last Great Decade: The Ultimate 90s Trivia Book Betty White: A Celebration

07-03-2012, 12:24 PM	#2
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,048	Update from USA Today http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T_McYPXl-BY

07-03-2012, 04:58 PM	#4
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	Very sad news, may he rest in peace.

07-04-2012, 05:54 AM	#7
[-Kelsey-] Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Aug 06, 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 21,975	Thank you for all the laughs Andy Griffith, you will be missed. RIP

07-04-2012, 03:44 PM	#9
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Rest in Peace, Andy Griffith It seems we're losing all the old-timers. Andy's Mayberry felt so real in our hearts. He was a terrific actor, and he'll be greatly missed.

07-04-2012, 04:21 PM	#10
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	I was saddened yesterday to read of his passing. Andy Griffith always seemed to me like one of the most kind, genuine men in show business. His legacy is Mayberry, a world and a time for which we all yearn. A place that doesn't exist, but should. I wonder how many people around the world whistled the famous theme to The Andy Griffith Show yesterday. Here's it is, with lyrics sung by Mr. Griffith, himself. Rest in peace, Mr. Griffith. And thank you.

07-04-2012, 11:45 PM	#11
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	matlock i nvercard for andy griffith show i alsway like matlock better

07-07-2012, 01:21 PM	#13
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	RIP Andy Griffith. I'm a fan of his. I bought his Matlock tv show first season on dvd several months ago. I loved Matlock. It was funny seeing Ron Howard as a kid on his show. Ron's voice as a kid was adorable. I didn't know Don Knotts was on Andy's show before he was on Three's Company tv show. RIP to Don too. He was very funny on Three's Company.

07-09-2012, 10:56 AM	#15
Reverend Jim Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 08, 2009 Location: New York City Posts: 783