Andy Griffith
| Andy Griffith | |
|---|---|
Griffith in 1958
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|
| Born |
Andy Samuel Griffith June 1, 1926 Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 2012 (aged 86) Manteo, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Roanoke Island, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Education | Mount Airy High School |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, television producer, singer, writer, teacher, musician |
| Years active | 1955–2012 |
| Notable work |
The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Bray Edwards (m. 1949–1972; divorced) Solica Cassuto (m. 1975–1981; divorced) Cindi Knight (m. 1983–2012; his death) |
| Children | Andy Samuel "Sam" Griffith, Jr. (deceased) Dixie Nann Griffith |
Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, television producer, Southern gospel singer, and writer. He was a Tony Award nominee for two roles, and gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968), and in the legal drama, Matlock (1986–1995).
Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the only child of Carl Lee Griffith and his wife, Geneva (Nunn). As a baby, Griffith lived with relatives until his parents could afford to buy a home. With neither a crib nor a bed, he slept in dresser drawers for several months. In 1929, when Griffith was three, his father began working as a carpenter and purchased a home in Mount Airy's "blue-collar" south side.
Griffith grew up listening to music. By the time he entered school, he was well aware that he was from what many considered the "wrong side of the tracks". He was a shy student, 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 student at Mount Airy High School, Griffith cultivated an interest in the arts, and he participated in the school's drama program. A growing love of music, particularly swing, would change his life. Griffith was raised Baptist and looked up to Ed Mickey, a minister at Grace Moravian Church, who led the brass band and taught him to sing and play the trombone. Mickey nurtured Griffith's talent throughout high school until graduation in 1944. Griffith was delighted when he was offered a role in The Lost Colony by Paul Green, a play about Roanoke Island still performed today. He performed as a cast member of the play for several years, playing a variety of roles, until he finally landed the role of Sir Walter Raleigh, the namesake of North Carolina's capital.
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