(CBS News) Actor Andy Griffith, whose portrayal of a rural sheriff in a popular 1960s TV show earned him the title of "America's Favorite Sheriff," died Tuesday morning. He was 86.
His death was confirmed in a statement from the Dare County, N.C., sheriff's office. Griffith died at his home on Roanoke Island, Dare County, N.C., at approximately 7 a.m.
"Andy Griffith passed away, after an illness ... Mr. Griffith has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island," explained a statement from Griffith's family.
"Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," the actor's wife, Cindi Griffith, said in a statement.
CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports that while Griffith's long career stretched from nightclubs to radio to movies to music, it was a role as a small-town sheriff that made him beloved to millions of Americans.
Viewers tuned in to "The Andy Griffith Show" not to watch Sheriff Andy Taylor solve big crimes, but to watch him solve the little problems of life in the fictional Mayberry, N.C. Don Knotts played Deputy Barney Fife, and Jim Nabors portrayed Gomer Pyle, the gas pumper. Most critics consider the show, which ran from 1960 to 1968, one of the top four or five sitcoms ever shown on television.
CBS' "The Andy Griffith Show" was one of only three series in history to end its run at the top of the ratings. "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld" also bowed out on top. Griffith said he decided to end the show "because I thought it was slipping, and I didn't want it to go down further," reports The Associated Press.
Andrew Samuel Griffith was born June 1, 1926, in Mt. Airy, N.C., a town much like Mayberry. As a child, he sang and played slide trombone in the band at Grace Moravian Church. He originally wanted a career as a musician, but his skills as a storyteller, mixed in with lots of country humor, soon came out. His acting career started with the role of Sir Walter Raleigh in Paul Green's outdoor pageant, "The Lost Colony," in Manteo, N.C.
Griffith graduated with a degree in music from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1949. After graduation, he taught at a high school in Goldsboro, N.C., before moving to New York. He soon became a regular on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Steve Allen Show" in the 1950s. In 1955, he starred in Broadway's "No Time for Sergeants," earning him a Tony nomination for outstanding supporting actor. Two years later, Griffith made his film debut in "A Face in the Crowd," alongside actress Patricia Neal. In 1960, he found himself with another Tony nomination, this time for best actor in the musical, "Destry Rides Again," in 1960.
In 1972, Griffith started his own production company. Throughout the '70s, Griffith continued his TV and film career, appearing in 1975's "Hearts of the West" with Jeff Bridges. He relaunched his 1960s sitcom, rebranding it as the "The New Andy Griffith Show," in 1972. It lasted one year.
Griffith made a big return to television in 1986, playing the title role in the TV legal drama "Matlock, which aired until 1995.
In the 1990s, Griffith also appeared in TV movies, including "Scattering Dad" and "A Holiday Romance."
He made a guest appearance on "Dawson's Creek" in 2001 and played the diner owner in director Adrienne Shelley' 2007 film "Waitress," starring Keri Russell. In 2009, he played the role of Grandpa Joe in the movie "Play the Game."
Griffith never forgot about his music roots. He received a Grammy Award for best Southern, country or bluegrass gospel album for "I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns," in 1997.
The actor has been plagued by health issues through the years, suffering a heart attack in 2000, which led to quadruple heart-bypass surgery. In 2007, he underwent hip surgery after a fall. Griffith also had Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can cause sudden paralysis.
Griffith recently lost a good friend, actor George Lindsey, who starred on "The Andy Griffith Show." Lindsey died in May at age 83.
At the time, Griffith released a statement saying, "Our last conversation was a few days ago ... I am happy to say that as we found ourselves in our eighties, we were not afraid to say, 'I love you.' That was the last thing George and I had to say to each other. 'I love you.'"
Griffith was married three times. His first marriage to Barbara Edwards ended in divorce in 1972. They had two children, Sam, who died in 1996, and a daughter, Dixie. He was married to Solica Casuto from 1975-1981. Griffith wed his third wife, Cindi Knight Griffith, in 1983.
"She and I are not only married, we're partners," Griffith said of his wife in 2007, according to The Associated Press. "And she helps me very much with everything."
Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2005.
In his 2005 speech, the president said, "Looking back on his Mayberry days, Andy explained the timeless appeal of the show. He said 'it was about love. Barney would set himself up for a fall, and Andy would be there to catch him.' The enduring appeal of the show has always depended -- and still does -- on the simplicity and sweetness and rectitude of the man behind the badge. TV shows come and go, but there's only one Andy Griffith."
The Andy Griffith show was a wholesome show that made everyone forget about the negative aspects of life and laugh. Nothing crazy, lewd or reality based... just clean humor. He left a positive legacy.
There never will be another like Andy Griffith.
The odd thing is, at 10 a.m. Tvland was showing an episode of the Andy Griffith Show where Barney gets ripped off after buying a lemon of a car. At the same time, WGN was showing an episode of Matlock where Matlock's neighbor, Les, who was portayed by Don Knotts, also buys a lemon. This is a pretty strange coincidence, don't you think?
RIP Andy.
I can't believe how disrespectful, some of you people are, if you have nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself. I truly enjoyed the Andy Griffith Show, and Matlock. Thank you for the many years of laughter. You will be missed. R.I.P. My condolences to your family.
please visit Andy's online memorial and contribute with a memory so we can make a HUGE tribute! http://www.memmento.com/Memorial-at-Memmento/728/Andy-Griffith please share!
I grew up less than fifty miles from Mount Airy and have regarded Andy Griffith as an extended part of my family -- a fine man very similar to my own very fine father -- throughout my life.
I love Andy Griffith, the person. And I admire his courageous political positions. I will be honored to vote for President Obama this November and will think of Andy Griffith and my dad when I do.
Andy Griffith brought me more pure joy, humor and fun than anyone in the entertainment business. I watch The Andy Griffith show regularly and never miss No Time for Sergeants. He was a true Christian American and in his honor I will be proud to vote for Barack Obama again this year.
I was born in 1959 - I loved watching the show when we first got our first TV - sort of weird, but I was thinking last night while I was dropping off to sleep how I wished I lived in Mayberry. It taught me basic morals.
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The odd thing is, at 10 a.m. Tvland was showing an episode of the Andy Griffith Show where Barney gets ripped off after buying a lemon of a car. At the same time, WGN was showing an episode of Matlock where Matlock's neighbor, Les, who was portayed by Don Knotts, also buys a lemon. This is a pretty strange coincidence, don't you think?
RIP Andy.
I truly enjoyed the Andy Griffith Show, and Matlock. Thank you for the many years of laughter. You will be missed. R.I.P.
My condolences to your family.
http://www.memmento.com/Memorial-at-Memmento/728/Andy-Griffith
please share!
I love Andy Griffith, the person. And I admire his courageous political positions. I will be honored to vote for President Obama this November and will think of Andy Griffith and my dad when I do.