TV icon Andy Griffith has died at 86. This sad news was confirmed by former UNC President, Bill Friday. Bill was a close friend of Andy’s and reported that the star on the popular “The Andy Griffith Show” died at his own home in Manteo, North Carolina this morning, July 3, 2012.
Andy, Ron Howard, George Lindsey, Don Knotts, Jim Nabors, and others delighted America for years with their humor and down-home country wisdom. The Andy Griffith Show represented a bygone era of America – one we won’t be seeing again.
Andy was a Grammy award winning gospel singer and went on to star in ‘Mayberry R.F.D.,’ as well as “Matlock.” When baby boomers think of their youth they are likely to associate part of it with Andy Griffith.
TMZ reports: Andy Griffith, an icon of TV, has died … this according to Andy’s close friend, former UNC President Bill Friday.Griffith, who became famous for “The Andy Griffith Show,” passed away at his home in Manteo, North Carolina this morning. Friday broke the news to WITN News in North Carolina.
There’s a famous statue of Andy and Opie — played by Ron Howard — in Raleigh, North Carolina. Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005.
Andy Griffith was a classic and a class act. R.I.P. Andy.
