He made sidekick Goober famous

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This article was published 07/05/2012 (5200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NASHVILLE — George Lindsey, who spent nearly 30 years as the grinning Goober on The Andy Griffith Show and Hee Haw, has died. He was 83.

A press release from Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home in Nashville said Lindsey died early Sunday after a brief illness. Funeral arrangements were still being made.

Lindsey was the beanie-wearing Goober on The Andy Griffith Show from 1964 to 1968 and its successor, Mayberry RFD, from 1968 to 1971. He played the same jovial character, a service station attendant, on the variety show Hee Haw from 1971 until it went out of production in 1993.

“America has grown up with me,” Lindsey said in an Associated Press interview in 1985. “Goober is every man; everyone finds something to like about ol’ Goober.”

He joined The Andy Griffith Show in 1964 when Jim Nabors, portraying Gomer Pyle, left the program. Goober Pyle, who had been mentioned on the show as Gomer’s cousin, replaced him.

“At that time, we were the best acting ensemble on TV. The scripts were terrific. Andy is the best script constructionist I’ve ever been involved with. And you have to lift your acting level up to his; he’s awfully good,” Lindsey said.

In a statement released through the funeral home, Griffith said, “George Lindsey was my friend. I had great respect for his talent and his human spirit. In recent years, we spoke often by telephone. Our last conversation was a few days ago … I am happy to say that as we found ourselves in our 80s, 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.’ “

Although he was best known as Goober, Lindsey had other roles during a long TV career. Earlier, he often was a “heavy” and once shot Matt Dillon on the western series Gunsmoke.

Reflecting on his career, he said in 1985: “There’s a residual effect of knowing I’ve made America laugh. I’m not the only one, but I’ve contributed something.”

He had movie roles, too, appearing in Cannonball Run II and Take This Job and Shove It. His voice was used in animated Walt Disney features, including The Aristocats, The Rescuers and Robin Hood.

Lindsey was born in Jasper, Alabama, the son of a butcher. He received a bachelor of science degree from Florence State Teachers College (now the University of North Alabama) in 1952 after majoring in physical education and biology and playing quarterback on the football team.

In 1956, he attended the American Theatre Wing in New York City and began his professional career on Broadway, appearing in the musicals All American and Wonderful Town.

He moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s and then to Nashville in the early 1990s.

— The Associated Press