Sources confirm Andy Griffith died around 7:00am this morning in North Carolina at the age of 86.
Griffith was a regular on the Ed Sullivan show in the 1950's. His legacy role, which earned him the title of "America's Favorite Sheriff"on "The Andy Griffith" show, set in fictional Mayberry, put North Carolina on the map in the entertainment industry. The show ran from 1960-1968, propelling a handful of spin-off programs.
Griffith also produced and starred in the television series "Matlock "before going on to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005
In addition to being an actor, Griffith was a director, producer, Grammy Winning Southern Gospel singer and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film, A Face in the Crowd (1957) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the 1960–68, The Andy Griffith Show, and in the 1986–95 legal drama Matlock.
Source: ABC News, Wikipedia.
Andy Griffith IMDB profile
The Andy Griffith Show IMDB profile
