Andy Griffith
A folksy North Carolina native whose gentle sheriff became a timeless symbol of American decency and small-town wisdom.
1926–2012 (age 86)·American actor and singer·Birthday: June 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Andy Griffith presented an America people wanted to believe in. Before he was Sheriff Andy Taylor, he was a music teacher and monologist from Mount Airy, North Carolina, whose cracker-barrel humor landed him on Broadway and then in Elia Kazan's searing film 'A Face in the Crowd,' where he played a folksy demagogue with terrifying skill. Television, however, sanded his edges into an enduring icon. 'The Andy Griffith Show,' which he co-created, was less a sitcom than a weekly portrait of a idealized community, Mayberry. As the widowed sheriff, Griffith played straight man to Don Knotts's neurotic Barney Fife, dispensing calm, common-sense justice from a rocking chair. His performance was so natural it seemed effortless, masking a sharp creative mind. Later, he reinvented himself again as a crafty Southern lawyer in 'Matlock,' wearing seersucker suits and outsmarting prosecutors. Off-screen, he was a private, sometimes complex man who understood that his greatest legacy was providing a generation with a comforting vision of authority and home.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Andy was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2012Died at 86
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Created and starred in 'The Andy Griffith Show' (1960-1968), which consistently ranked in the top ten and remains one of the most beloved series in television history.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for his contributions to American culture and entertainment.
- Earned a Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album for 'I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns' in 1997.
- Starred in the successful legal drama 'Matlock' for nine seasons, proving his lasting appeal to television audiences.
- His performance as Lonesome Rhodes in the film 'A Face in the Crowd' is considered a classic study of populist charisma and corruption.
Did You Know?
He was a talented singer and musician, releasing several gospel and comedy albums throughout his career.
He was a dedicated teacher of drama and music at Goldsboro High School in North Carolina before his show business career took off.
Mount Airy, North Carolina, his hometown, is widely considered the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry.
He was an avid fan of baseball and owned a minor league baseball team, the Asheville Tourists, for a time.
He refused to allow a laugh track on 'The Andy Griffith Show,' believing the comedy should stand on its own.
““I suppose I'm a pretty good actor, but I'm not sure I'm a great one. But I do know I'm a great Andy.””
