Andy Griffith

Andrew Samuel Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Andy Griffith was an actor best known for the '60s comedy show that was named after him. He attended the University of North Carolina where he studied to be a preacher, but switched his interests to pursue drama and music. With his Southern drawl, Griffith easily landed roles requiring a Southerner, and he starred in the 1955 Broadway production of No Time for Sergeants. His most acclaimed film role was in 1957's A Face in the Crowd. He made his move to television in 1960 with The Andy Griffith Show, which also starred Don Knotts and child actor Ron Howard, who would go on to fame as a director as an adult. The show ran until 1968 and spun off a sequel titled Mayberry R.F.D. In the late '80s, Griffith starred in a successful program titled Matlock, in which he played a lawyer. Griffith’s recording career was not nearly as celebrated as his acting, yet he did record a number of albums and singles (in addition to comedy records and soundtracks from his television shows). He had one charting single in 1955, "Make Yourself Comfortable," on Capitol Records, which reached number 26 in the U.S. Griffith returned to the recording studio in the '90s to record a number of popular religious and seasonal albums. He died at his home on Roanoke Island in North Carolina on July 3, 2012. He was 86 years old.