RIP, Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith, TV star, comedian, raconteur and comedian, has died at 86. I grew up on Mayberry, and I can sing all the words to the Andy Griffith theme (and also the Beyonce mashup). I'll miss him.

BREAKING NEWS: Friend Says Andy Griffith Has Died

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: obit • Old school • tv

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geekzapoppin

How sad. I’m a Lost Colony alum and Andy was always very supportive of the show. He was an incredibly-generous and talented man. The fact that The Andy Griffith Show is still on television nearly every day in America says something about his talent. RIP Andy.
http://twitter.com/rvitelli Romeo Vitelli

He was also a fine actor. It’s sad that one of his earliest (and scariest) roles, as Lonesome Rhodes in A Face in the Crowd is so little known these days. Elia Kazan’s film about politics and media is as relevant now as when it was made in 1957.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Face_in_the_Crowd_%28film%29
- Teller
  
  Weee-oooo that’s a great film.
- http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
  
  If you can find it, do check out the made-for-TV movie ‘Murder in Coweta County’ with both Andy Griffith AND Johnny Cash. Andy plays a truly nasty piece of work in this, as far from Sheriff Taylor as you can get.
- penguinchris
  
  That is indeed a great film. It shows up on Turner Classic Movies once in a while (which is where I saw it). Wouldn’t be surprised if they play it this week or next (they often shuffle their schedule around when people from classic films die).
  - Teller
    
    The only channel more notable than TCM is the English.
- http://www.gyrofrog.com/ Gyrofrog
  
  Also, watch the extras to hear Andy say “fuck.”
http://www.facebook.com/sophont Jay Kusnetz

And 30 years ago he had a tv series that foreshadowed today’s NewSpace companies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDa25M-de70
- robdobbs
  
  Was there ever a time Andy Griffith didn’t look old?
  - Andrew Singleton
    
    Same could be said of both Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duval.
Jason Baker

There’s a statue of Andy and Ron Howard in the park where I frequently eat my lunch. My guess is that it”ll be covered in flowers by noon.
Drabula

I had a great dad. If I hadn’t had him Andy would have been my next choice.
DreamboatSkanky

Andy Griffith. This guy? This is the guy.
http://dbcooper.livejournal.com P.F. Bruns

I enjoyed his work, and respected both his talent and his viewpoint. By all accounts, he was a fine gentleman who led a good life. May he be long-remembered. My condolences to his family, loved ones, and friends.
http://profiles.google.com/stephen.schenck Stephen Schenck

“the words to the Andy Griffith theme”

Wait, wut?
- BurntHombre
  
  Was news to me too:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9BvKREK1rU
  - http://profiles.google.com/stephen.schenck Stephen Schenck
    
    Just like Star Trek! Crazy.
  - jimh
    
    The (little known) Star Wars theme lyrics:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUQc1Sdcjo8
    - Paul Renault
      
      My sister used to work in the film industry. She told me that the lyrics to the Star Wars theme music was:
      “Staaar Wars! Paid off my mortage, paid off my mortgage, bought me a house car!”
    - http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
      
      That is still wondrously cringe-worthy :)
- http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
  
  Yep, it is called Fishin’ Hole. I think it may have been Andy’s theme song even before the TV show.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  This should also shock you.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fn7PKzf5tk
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  And of course…
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9hr5LBeWg
Walt Guyll

“But don’t the trees seem nice and full?”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/koocheekoo/ Koocheekoo

‎”Somewhere wandering loose around Mayberry is a loaded goat.”
Thanks for the movie recommendation, Romeo!
mccrum

Narrator: “No one was making fun of Andy Griffith. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
Ms. Anne Thrope

“Each Matlock may be our last.”- Simpsons
A Face in the Crowd is a must see.
RIP Sheriff Andy Taylor
jwkrk

A comedian and a comedian.

Sad…
penguinchris

Do kids still grow up on Mayberry these days? I did, in the 90′s, along with Leave it to Beaver and the rest, because those were the best things on TV. Now there’s so much more to watch (e.g. youtube). I know you can still find those shows on TV, so I’m not sure.

One thing’s for sure, I’ll be whistling all day!
jimh

The amount of AGS reruns I have watched probably totals at least a year of my life. Such a big part of my childhood. RIP, sheriff!
Geoduck

No Time For Sergeants is another of his early roles that’s worth seeing; sort of Lonesome Rhode’s non-evil twin.
- pjcamp
  
  Sort of the origin story for Gomer Pyle.
franko

MMAAAAAAAATTTLLOOOOOOOCCKKKKKKKKK!!

/Grandpa Simpsons Voice
http://beautifulsynthesis.com Andrea

So sad.
morrigan2

Early Andy Griffith standup, you must listen:

http://youtu.be/oNxLxTZHKM8
- http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt
  
  I was hoping that you’d pick, “What It Wuz, Wuz Football” Excellent :)
- jimh
  
  I remember my grandparents had an LP of his comedy routines (along with Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, and the Smothers Brothers) back when comedy on vinyl was a thing. My grandfather got a huge laugh out of Andy, I think in part because he really enjoyed listening to someone acting like more of a hayseed than he was!
http://www.millsworks.net/blog Robbo

The last time I saw Andy Griffith was at Dr. Marvin Waxman’s in Toronto where a bunch of us were enduring production insurance medical exams (different shows) this was maybe 10 years ago and while he looked frail he was still a consummate gentleman. Griffith’s best work, to my mind, will always be “Face In The Crowd” with Patricia Neal, directed by Elia Kazan, and still so frightfully prescient for today.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003334070228 Tomáš Pavelka

please visit Andy’s online memorial and contribute with a memory so we can make a HUGE tribute!
http://www.memmento.com/Memorial-at-Memmento/728/Andy-Griffith
please share!