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Tag: andy griffith show

  • Ron Howard Receives Second Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

    Ron Howard has received his second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His first star lauded his acting career for roles on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. This second star is for his career as a film maker.

    “Two stars are pretty remarkable…I’m going to have double the foot traffic, twice as many people treading on my good name, but I think it’s a great thing and I’m proud of that,” Ron Howard said at the ceremony–with daughter Bryce Dallas Howard by his side–on Thursday.

    “However, my ambitions run deep, so two is good, three would be better and I’ve got a lot of energy,” he added.

    Ron Howard won as Oscar for Best Director for A Beautiful Mind. He has received numerous accolades for Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code, too.

    “I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it’s been far too long since Michael (Keaton) and I made a movie together, so I’m hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later,” Howard said during the ceremony.

    Michael Keaton joined Ron Howard and his family for the event.

    Ron Howard has a new film opening in theaters tonight. In the Heart of the Sea stars Chris Hemsworth.

    There’s no question that Ron Howard has devoted his entire life to the entertainment industry. From his days as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show to Richie Cunningham on Happy Days–and then all those films. Ron Howard earned both of his stars–and will no doubt continue impressing fans for a long time to come.

  • Jim Nabors Retires Indianapolis 500 Act

    Jim Nabors Retires Indianapolis 500 Act

    Jim Nabors is preparing for his last performance of “Back Home Again” at this year’s Indianapolis 500.

    Nabors, 83, has been performing for 42 years as the opening act for the Indy 500, an annual race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    Nabors, a singer and an actor, had his first breakout role when he played Gomer Pyle in the show The Andy Griffith Show. The role was supposed to be a one-time performance, but he became so popular that his character became a regular on the show. He was also given a spin-off show entitled Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

    File:Jim Nabors Frank Sutton Gomer Pyle 1966.JPG

    Nabors first became an opening act for the Indy 500 in 1972. He may not be an Indianapolis native, as he was born in Alabama, but Indianapolis adopted him as their own since the first time they heard him sing. Since then, he sang “Back Home Again” every year to open the event.

    In 2007, Nabors was not able to attend the event, as he had a pacemaker procedure done. Instead of serenading the crowd, his fans were the one who sang for him, as he was watching the event from his hospital bed. In 2012, he missed the event again, due to another surgery. That year, a video crew went to Hawaii, where he resides, and recorded him singing the song just so it could be played at the event.

    Nabors announced that his performance of “Back Home Again” on May 25 will be his last. “It’s really bittersweet. I just thought I was getting a little long in the tooth,” he said. Nabors also said that he is getting old and it is difficult for him to travel by plane. “It’s the highlight of my year to come there and sing, but as the old song goes, I don’t want to stay too long at the fair.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons,(1), (2)

  • Andy Griffith, America’s Favorite Sheriff, Dies at 86

    Andy Griffith, the award-winning actor who will always be known as “American’s Favorite Sheriff” for his turn on “The Andy Griffith Show”, died today (June 3) after an ambulance was called to his home on Roanoke Island. His long-time friend, former UNC President Bill Friday, confirmed the actor/musician’s passing with WITN.

    Griffith, who was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina in June of 1926, earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following graduation, he taught for a few years Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina, during which time he began to experiment with writing. One of his first major contributions, “What it Was, Was Football”, was released as a single in 1953. The monologue, which was performed by Griffith, was told from the perspective of a backwoodsman who was attempting to figure out the game of football. It reached number nine on the charts in 1954, and helped cement the actor’s place as a comedian.

    After spreading his talents throughout a handful of television programs and plays, Griffith enjoyed his feature film debut in the 1957 picture “A Face in the Crowd”, which allowed the actor to stretch his dramatic legs. The film, which was directed by Elia Kazan, also featured performances from Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa, and Lee Remick.

    However, in 1960, Andy Griffith landed a television program that would introduce his comedic chops to those who had yet to experience them. “The Andy Griffith Show,” which featured Griffith as Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor, was an instant hit with television audiences, thank in part to the participation of Don Knotts. Although Griffith never received a writing credit for the program, he reportedly contributed greatly to each episode’s development. The show ran for eight years, though Griffith left during the last season to pursue other opportunities. The surviving cast reunited in 1986 for the made-for-television movie “Return to Mayberry”, which was followed up by two more reunions in 1993 and 2003.

    In addition to his numerous television appearance — he would later star in the popular mystery series “Matlock” — Griffith also recorded a few gospel and country albums. His 1996 effort, “I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns”, was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2008, Griffith made an appearance in music video for Brad Paisley’s “Waitin’ on a Woman”.

    Andy Griffith’s death has made an impact on those folks who fondly remember watching the gifted comedian/actor in his numerous film and television roles. You can experience some of their condolences by investigating the Twitter posts you see positioned below. And if you find yourself mindlessly whistling the theme from “The Andy Griffith Show” today, I seriously doubt anyone is going to mind. In fact, carve out some time and enjoy the episode below.

    For more information, stop by Famous Dead.