Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith (1926–2012) was an American actor, comedian, and singer whose best-known roles were Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show and Ben Matlock in Matlock.

The Andy Griffith Show: An American sitcom starring Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry. The series made his portrayal of a genial small-town sheriff his defining role.
Mount Airy, North Carolina: A city in North Carolina near the Virginia border and Andy Griffith’s birthplace. The town’s setting and culture informed the Southern identity associated with Griffith’s work.
Ron Howard: An American filmmaker and actor who played Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. Their on-screen father-and-son relationship anchored the series’ family stories.
The Andy Griffith Show soundtrack: Music associated with The Andy Griffith Show, including its familiar whistled theme, “The Fishin’ Hole.” The theme made Griffith’s whistling part of the show’s recognizable opening.
Mayberry: The fictional North Carolina town where The Andy Griffith Show is set. Griffith’s Sheriff Taylor became inseparable from this idealized television community.
Matlock: An American legal drama starring Andy Griffith as criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. Its shrewd, folksy lawyer gave Griffith a second signature television character.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: A public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where Andy Griffith studied music. His music education preceded his career as a performer and recording artist.
Don Knotts: An American actor and comedian who played Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. His anxious comic foil brought out the contrast between Griffith’s calm sheriff and comic authority.
I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns: A 1996 gospel album by Andy Griffith featuring hymns sung in his Southern baritone. The album demonstrates his continuing work as a singer beyond his acting roles.
Rural sitcom: A situation comedy whose setting and characters center on rural life and small communities. The show helped establish a lasting television image of rural community life.

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Jim NaborsRelated: Griffith’s series introduced Nabors as Gomer Pyle and made the character a household name.