Television icon Andy Griffith known for the 60’s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and legal drama Matlock has died at 86. He passed away this morning after an undisclosed illness at his home on Roanoke Island in his home state of North Carolina.
Griffith first captivated audiences with his country boy gone bad role in 50’s film A Face In the Crowd. Shortly after in the 1960’s, he became a household name as Sheriff Andy Taylor in the show of his name sake The Andy Griffith Show. On the series, he played a peace keeping sheriff in the sleepy fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. Later on in the 80’s, he played Ben Matlock, a ‘get it done’ defence lawyer who was always digging for golden nuggets of information from witnesses on the stand.
Griffith and his TV programs were always popular with country music fans and as a singer he recorded a number of successful gospel albums. He was Brad Paisley’s video mate for Waitin’ On A Woman and Rascal Flatts recorded a song called Mayberry about the easy going lifestyle of the fictional town of Mayberry.
His was a life well lived. Mr. Griffith will be remembered as a television legend.
