Background

Andy Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, United States. He was the son of Carl Lee and Geneva (Nunn) Griffith. His family was extremely poor and had to live with their relatives as they did not have a house of their own. In 1929, when Griffith was three, his father began working as a helper or carpenter and purchased a home in Mount Airy's "blue-collar" south side.

Education

Andy Griffith attended Mount Airy High School where he was an active performer and played music. His mentor was Ed Mickey, a priest at Grace Moravian Church, who nurtured his skills till his graduation from high school in 1944. Later he studied at the University of North Carolina where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. He also played roles in several student operettas.

Career

Andy Griffith started his career as a teacher of music and drama at Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Later, he set out as a monologist, and his monologue What it Was, Was Football, released in 1953, became very popular. In 1954, he made his television debut when he was invited as a guest on the Ed Sullivan Show. In March 1955, Griffith appeared in Ira Levin's teleplay No Time for Sergeants. He appeared in the theatrical version of the same name on Broadway in October 1955 and was immensely appreciated for his performance.

In 1957, Griffith appeared on television again in the movie A Face in the Crowd, portraying a vagrant who eventually becomes a TV personality. In 1960, he appeared on The Danny Thomas Show, set in the fictional town of Mayberry. Andy Griffith starred as the show's main character, Sheriff Andy Taylor. The television show became an instant success. The show's finale was aired in September 1968, and, in 1972, Griffith started his own production company, Andy Griffith Enterprises. He starred in several television films, such as Go Ask Alice, The Strangers in 7A, Winter Kill and Pray for the Wildcats throughout the 1970s.

Andy Griffith starred in the comedy feature film Hearts of the West in 1975 as Howard Pike, alias of Billy Pueblo. He also appeared in the drama series Matlock as a Southern lawyer. The show aired from 1986 until 1995, and Griffith became involved in other television projects, including The Andy Griffith Reunion Special in 1993. Griffith also sang as part of some of his acting roles. He recorded several albums including Just for Laughs, I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns, and The Christmas Guest. Griffith's last film appearance was in the 2009 rom-com Play the Game where he played the role of Grandpa Joe.

Achievements

• 

  Andy Griffith was an American actor, singer, and comedian who was known as one of the most famous television personalities of the last few decades. The sitcom The Andy Griffith Show made him extremely famous and brought him immense critical and commercial success. He is also remembered for his role as the criminal defense counsel, Ben Matlock, in the television series Matlock.
  
  Andy Griffith was awarded the Grammy Award in 1997 for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album for I Love to Tell the Story – 25 Timeless Hymns. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. In 1981, he earned his only Primetime Emmy nomination for the television movie 'Murder in Texas' in the 'Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie' category.
  
  Andy Griffith was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1991. He also was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The statue of Griffith and Ron Howard (as Andy and Opie) was constructed in Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Andy Griffith Museum was opened on September 26, 2009, in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • No Time for Sergeants

    (Will Stockdale is a country bumpkin drafted into the Air ...)

    1958
  • Play the Game

    (A young ladies' man teaches his widowed grandfather how t...)

    2009
  • The Strangers in 7A

    (A building superintendent and his wife are held hostage i...)

    1972
  • The Second Time Around

    (A widow with several children leaves New York City to bec...)

    1961
  • The Girl in the Empty Grave

    (A police chief investigates after a supposedly dead girl ...)

    1977
  • Deadly Game

    (A small-town police chief finds a military conspiracy beh...)

    1977
  • The Andy Griffith Show: Return to Mayberry

    (Andy returns to his native Mayberry to witness his son be...)

    1986
  • A Face in the Crowd

    (Marcia Jeffries, a radio producer, gives Larry Rhodes, a ...)

    1957
  • Winter Kill

    (A ski-resort sheriff hunts a killer who leaves spray-pain...)

    1974
  • Six Characters in Search of an Author

    (A groundbreaking work that has exerted considerable influ...)

    1976
  • A Holiday Romance

    (A small-town music teacher becomes an inspiration to her ...)

    1999
  • Onionhead

    (It's World War II. Andy Griffith is a college student who...)

    1958

• music

  • Andy Griffith: Just for Laughs 1958
  • Shouts the Blues and Old Timey Songs 1959
  • Just as I Am: 30 Favorite Old Time Hymns 1997
  • The Christmas Guest: Stories and Songs of Christmas 2003

• TV series

  • Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.

    (Gomer Pyle joins the Marine Corps and faces several misha...)

    1964
  • Mayberry R.F.D.

    (Sam Jones arrives in the town of Mayberry, North Carolina...)

    1968
  • The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series

    (Andy Taylor, the sheriff of a quiet sleepy town, lives wi...)

    1960
  • Matlock: The Complete Series

    (Benjamin Matlock asks for a heavy sum before agreeing to ...)

    1986

Religion

Andy Griffith was raised as a Baptist, but took a great interest in the local Moravian congregation, a small group within Christianity who settled near his hometown. He considered becoming a Moravian minister, but he changed his mind. As a musician, he released several compilations of great Christian hymns.

Politics

In politics Andy Griffith favored Democrats. In 1989, he declined an offer by Democratic Party officials to run against Jesse Helms, a Republican United States Senator from North Carolina.

In 2000, Griffith endorsed then-Attorney General Mike Easley for governor of the state of North Carolina. He also appeared with Ron Howard in a Funny or Die video endorsement for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.

Views

Quotations: "If you think and feel what you're supposed to think and feel, hard enough, it'll come out through your eyes - and the camera will see it."

"I'm not really wise. But I can be cranky."

"Any time I try to play anything that doesn't come natural, I'm just plain bad."

"You know when you're young you think you will always be. As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past. Hymns can carry you into the future."

Membership

Andy Griffith was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Personality

In his youth, Andy Griffith was a shy person, but once he found a way to make his peers laugh, he began to come out of his shell and come into his own. As a high school student, he cultivated an interest in the arts and music.

Those who knew Andy Griffith said that he was an all-around good person. He was a bit of a collector. Aside from the timepieces, Griffith was interested in antique furniture, hats, canes, and classic cars. He also drove a '69 Rolls Royce. His favorite snack was peanut butter and mayonnaise on crackers.

Physical Characteristics: Andy Griffith had serious health problems. His first serious health problem was in April 1983 when he was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome and could not walk for seven months because of paralysis from the knees down. On May 9, 2000, he underwent quadruple heart-bypass surgery. Griffith also underwent hip surgery on September 5, 2007.

Quotes from others about the person

• Ron Howard: "His love of creating, the joy he took in it whether it was drama or comedy or his music, was inspiring to grow up around. The spirit he created on the set of The Andy Griffith Show was joyful and professional all at once. It was an amazing environment. And I think it was a reflection of the way he felt about having the opportunity to create something that people could enjoy. It was always with respect and passion for the opportunity and really what it could offer people in a very unpretentious and earthy way. He felt he was always working in service of an audience he really respected and cared about. He was a great influence on me. His passing is sad. But he lived a great rich life."

Interests

• Swimming, skeet and trap shooting

Connections

Andy Griffith married Barbara Bray Edwards on August 22, 1949. The couple adopted two children before their divorce in 1972. In 1973, Griffith married a Greek actress, Solica Cassuto. They divorced in 1983.

Andy Griffith married Cindi Knight on April 12, 1983, and was with her till his death.

Father:

Carl Lee Griffith

(August 10, 1894 – January 19, 1975)

Mother:

Geneva (Nunn) Griffith

(May 26, 1899 – May 13, 1986)

ex-wife:

Barbara Bray Edwards

(August 17, 1926 – July 23, 1980)

Son:

Andy Griffith Jr.

Andy Griffith Jr. (also known as Sam Griffith) (December 8, 1958 – January 17, 1996) was a real-estate developer.

Daughter:

Dixie Nann Griffith

ex-wife:

Solica Casuto

Wife:

Cindi Knight

Friend:

Don Knotts

Don Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor, voice actor, and comedian.

References

• Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law, Andy and Don is a rewarding dual biography that is also a lively look inside the entertainment industry in the latter half of the twentieth century. Entertaining and provocative, it captures a golden moment in modern Americana.
  2015
• Beyond Mayberry Revised: A Memoir of Andy Griffith and Mount Airy North Carolina This is the source of information about Andy Griffith and his hometown based on years of research including personal interviews with many of those involved.
  2012