On June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Carl and Geneva Griffith welcomed their first and only child, Andy Samuel Griffith. Griffith developed a love for music at a very early age with the hopes of one day becoming an opera singer. During his high school years, he participated in Mount Airy High School’s drama program. Upon graduation, his focus turned toward religion. Griffith enrolled in the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina with the plans of becoming a Moravian minister. Never losing his first love of music, Griffith changed his major and earned a bachelor degree in music in 1949. Upon graduating from college, he married his first wife, Barbara Bray Edwards, on August 22, 1949.

Shortly after becoming married to Barbara, Griffith acquired a teaching job at Goldsboro High School.

After teaching there for only three years, he and Barbara hit the road and began performing comedy and music routines. Becoming famous for his monologue titled What it Was, Was Football, Griffith appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show several times where he became even more well known. He eventually went on to perform on Broadway, where he met his future sidekick, Don Knotts.

After several guest roles on shows such as The Steve Allen Show and The Danny Thomas Show, Griffith landed the starring role of Sheriff Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. This CBS show was an instant hit, achieving high ratings throughout its eight year run, from 1960-1968. Griffith filled the role of executive producer for the show’s spin-off, Mayberry RFD, airing from 1968-1971. A year later, Griffith and Barbara Bray Edwards divorced. The couple shared two adopted children, Andrew Samuel Griffith Jr. and  Dixie Nan. Griffith remarried in 1975, just three years after his divorce from Barbara was final. He and second wife, Solica Cassuto, divorced in 1981. Griffith married a third time on April 2, 1983, to Cindi Knight. The couple remains married to this present day.

After a couple of short lived roles on shows such as Centennial and Salvage 1, Griffith landed the starring role of defense attorney Ben Matlock on the television series, Matlock. Matlock aired from 1986-1995, first on NBC and later on ABC. In 1996, Griffith’s son, Samuel, died after a long bout with alcoholism. With his own health failing and a near fatal heart attack, Griffith underwent quadruple bypass surgery in May of 2000, bringing to a halt his nearly 50 year acting career.

In 2005, Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. He has since managed to appear in a few movies, including the 2007 comedy titled Waitress and the 2008 comedy titled Play the Game. In October of 2008, Griffith showed his support for presidential candidate Barack Obama and vice president candidate Joe Biden by appearing in a Funny or Die video titled Ron Howard’s Call to Action.

Griffith and wife Cindi currently live on Roanoke Island in North Carolina, just miles from where he landed his first professional acting job in the longest running play in the nation, The Lost Colony. Enjoying the quiet life on his waterfront property, Griffith is content collecting antique cars, taking care of his three dogs and riding his John Deere tractor across his 70-acre property. Though he never won an Emmy during his long acting career, he received a number of other awards, including a People’s Choice Award, a Legend Award, a TV Land Award and a Star on the Walk of Fame. Andy Griffith will always be remembered as one of Hollywood’s best, and quite possibly, as America’s favorite sheriff.