show spun off from guest appearances griffith made on the old "danny thomas show."andy griffith played straight man to mayberry's lovable collection of characters and taught heartwarming lessons, as when sheriff andy taylor's son opie killed a mother bird a slingshot and then was prodded by his father to raise and release the baby birds. >> cage sure looks awful empty, don't it, pa? >> yes, son, it sure does. but don't the trees seem nice and full? >> i tried in story telling and the old griffith show by just telling the story of love. >> reporter: griffith left the show at its peak and went on to another successful run as a defense lawyer in "matlock" and spent his later years recording gospel albums. but andy griffith's down home sheriff will stand as one of the great roles in television history. >> andy taylor was a very good man. he's a lot better than than i am. >> reporter: not by much. bill whitaker, cbs news, hollywood. >> pelley: and that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, have a safe and happy fourth of ju

. >>> and remembering andy griffith. america's favorite small town sheriff. tonight his tv son opie, ron howard, on the loss of a national treasure. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. i'm natalie morales in for brian. on the eve of the july 4th holiday, a time usually for fun and family, but for many, there is no escaping the extreme heat. adding to the misery in the mid-atlantic region, patience is starting to run out with power still out for more than a million households. we begin once again nbc's with tom costello in the nation's capital. good evening, tom. >> good evening to you. we could have picked any one a number of neighborhoods here in d.c. and virginia. we have a tree down, cars crushed, power lines are down. they're slowly getting power back, but it could be until the weekend until everyone has power back. in the meantime, with the death toll at 26, the concern is, it may rise with the heat taking a toll. across a huge section of the country today, the growl of chainsaws filled the air, and

of the andy griffith show.gad shaban has more. >> there was no mistaking the theme to the andy griffith show. and no mistaking the plain talking down home charm of its star. andy griffith played andy taylor, the sheriff in fictional mayberry, north carolina. the straight man to comic don knotts. >> it's easy. >> good. just make sure it clears your underwear. >> right. >> tv father to a young ron howard. >> he would call me youngin. youngin over here. >> howard says he learned a lot from griffith. a man who elevated his show by playing to a higher standard. >> andy was a little more of a jimmy stewart kind of a character than he was a kind of a sitcom dad. >> griffith first hit it big in feature films, including a face in the crowd and no time for sergeants. but it was mayberry that made him a household name. griffith earned a star on hollywood's walk of fame more than 36 years ago. he was nearly 50. his career in television was far from over. >> estella ortiz remembers griffith as the folksy defense attorney in

bill whitaker on the death of andy griffith. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, heat in the summer is not news, but this summer is making history. over the last eight days, 2,400 high-temperature records have been tied or broken. on the eve of the fourth of july, americans are looking for independence from the weather. temperatures today climbed into the 90s and the 100s, they're really feeling in the those states hit hard by that fierce weekend storm in the east. nearly 1.5 million homes and business there is still have no electricity-- no power, no air. what's behind the record weather? we asked chip reid to find out. >> reporter: it's not just hot out there, it's record-breaking hot. this spring was the hottest since the government began keeping records in 1895. 150 million americans have spent some portion of the past week under a heat warning. in tiny norton, kansas, last week, it hit 118 degrees-- hotter than death valley. >>

griffith tried spin-offs and then had another hit as "matlock." character with the same dreams his fans had, said linda purl who played his daughter. >> i guess we all have dreams, and your arena of safety. and maybe that's something he was always yearning for himself. he was able to portray that in both long running shows he was a part of. >> reporter: ironically, griffith started his career playing a bad guy, the political opportunist in "a face in the crowd." >> they'd be afraid not to come, i could murder them like this. >> reporter: at one his last performances, a controversial ad two years ago for president obama's health care bill. >> with the new health care law, more good things are coming. >> reporter: it's as andy of mayberry he is best remembered, a character so admirable and enduring, it won him the presidential medal of freedom. >> tv shows come and go, but there's only one andy griffith. >> reporter: he insisted on the rules with compassion and sharing. >> that there is real sheriffing. and i mean real sheriffing. >> reporter: can a

eventually, though, griffith moved on screen to the big city.he drama "matlock" cast griffith as a folksy atlanta defense attorney. >> country people will sometimes fool you. there are an awful lot of bright people in the south. >> reporter: griffith himself grew up in the small north carolina town of mt. airy. his first career success came in 1958 with a hit record. >> both bunches full of them men wanted this funny-looking little pumpkin to play with. >> reporter: what it was was "football!" led griffith to acting. >> oh, heck, no, sir. i'm plo. >> you're what? >> permanent latrine orderly. >> reporter: "no time for sergeants" was a hit for griffith on broadway, tv, and film. but for most of us, andy griffith will always be remembered as sheriff of mayberry and opie's pa. >> that was a good idea. >> you know it was. >> reporter: mark barger, nbc news. >>> well, now, here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in wisconsin, just incredible video that shows a car turned into a rocket. imagine being inside there. it la

youngin over here. >> howard says he learned a lot from griffith.man who elevated his show by playing to a higher standard. >> andy was a little more of a jimmy stewart kind of a character than he was a kind of a sitcom dad. >> griffith first hit it big in feature films, including a face in the crowd and no time for sergeants. but it was mayberry that made him a household name. griffith earned a star on hollywood's walk of fame more than 36 years ago. he was nearly 50. his career in television was far from over. >> she remembers him as the folksy defense attorney in matlock. >> i think we've lost somebody that started a lot of the beginning of good family values at home. >> howard says to fully appreciate griffith's life, look beyond his biggest roles. >> look at face in the crowd or one of his dramatic turns on tv or in the movies. he was a real artist. >> rest in peace, andy. >> andy griffith was 86 years old. bigad shaban, cbs news, hollywood. ♪ [ alyson ] just keep walking... ♪ oh, come on! ♪ ugh, again! [ sniffs ] that's what i'm talkin' about.

remembering an american icon, tv legend andy griffith. >>> hot dog. speed eaters weigh in for a famous fourth of july tradition. happy fourth of july to you, good morning, i'm lynn berry. those stories and more are straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. and we're going to begin this morning with that holiday heat. in seven states and the district of columbia, more than 1 million families are waking up to a fifth day without any power and air conditioning on this independence day. fireworks displays are being cancelled to let police and fire crews continue relief efforts in a region where the weather will only get hotter through the holiday. nbc's steve handelsman has more. >> reporter: it's miserable on margaret drive. in tacoma park, maryland. a tree that tore down wires friday has not been touched. some homes got power back, then lost it. and the pets are sweltering in lynn quarrel's home. >> first of all, i'm definitely worried about my cats because, i mean, heat isn't good for any animal and a lot of them are suffering right now. i'm more

andy griffith was 86 years old.h performer of a coronary talent. at home hiv test gets the green light from federal regulators and this quite the story to tell daring adventure of the day stevenson expressway and suburbs across the area capsuling celebration's one city with the show must go on and did well in a few minutes pregnant this to you live. medical watch first over-the- counter rapid test hiv soon available for home use gave approval today oraquick of managed hiv test swab the upper and lower gums of their mouth sample into a container results 20-40 minutes a positive result does not mean a person infected but additional testing should be done medical facility center put disease control intervention estimates 1.2 million people an american living with hiv infection about one out of 52 not know rapid test expected to be available in stores and online early october. infection that starts cat's litter box might be linked to suicide attempts among women. researchers analyzed information 45,000 women and denmark

andy griffith has died. the long-time tv and film star died this morning at his home in north carolina. griffith appeared on broadway and in movies as a young man, but he really became an icon when he took the role of sheriff andy taylor in the "andy griffith show." griffith, along with a young ron howard and don knotts made the show a ratings hit throughout its eight-year run. ron howard, who got his start playing opie with griffith will join us coming up ahead. >>> selling health care. if states aren't going to buy into the medicaid expansion, just how is this program going to work? zeke emanuel joining us right here in aspen. this is "andrea mitchell reports." an accident doesn't have to slow you down... with better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual insurance, if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy a car that's one model-year newer... with 15,000 fewer miles on it. there's no other auto insurance product like it. better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual. i

for most of us, andy griffith will always be remembered as the sheriff of mayberry and opie's pa. >>hat was a pretty good idea i come up with, huh? >> reporter: mark barger, nbc news. >> here's your "first look" at news around america today. in wisconsin, look at thin credible video. it shows a car that turned right into a rocket. it launched into mid-oar after slamming into a section of road that buckled from the heat. the driver could be seen losing control and heading the wrong way into oncoming traffic. amazingly, no injuries were reported. >>> in illinois, even professionals trying to demonstrate the dangers of messing around with fireworks can learn the hard way. a woman suffered minor burns on her foot after the canisters used to shoot fireworks in the air tipped over, causing the pyrotechnics to go out of control. organizers say the mishap proves their point about firework safety this holiday. >>> in chicago, it was canine chaos as a fugitive fido was able to stay one paw ahead of the law. i'll be here all week, bill, tip your bartenders. police hounded the dog as he ran alon

on "the andy griffith show."tt has a look back at his life. ♪ >> reporter: to this day, that whistle calls tv viewers back to mayberry where, for eight years beginning in 1960, andy griffith starred as sheriff andy taylor, opie's pa. >> you know you have been taught the golden rule. do unto others as you would have them do unto you. >> yes, pa. >> you think you have been following that rule? >> sure, tommy does unto me, and now i am doing unto jerry. >> reporter: after learning of griffith's passing, ron howard, the actor, starred as opie, tweeted his pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations and shaped my life. i am forever grateful. rest in peace, andy. griffith with his wise words and laconic southern drawl was the straight man in the comedy about small-town america. >> why are we stopping at ms. kelsey's? >> she had to go to -- >> going to check the locks, huh? >> no, we are going to take in her laundry. >> reporter: the real mayberry many believe was griffith's hometown of mt.

in a same today, his family says griffith died this morning at the age of 86.e was buried on his beloved roanoke island in north carolina. his tv son played by ron howard says griffith's love of creating was inspiring. he once said he wasn't as wise or as nice as the sheriff, but andy taylor represented the best part of him. that was his best known part, but it wasn't the only beloved character he brought to the screen. nbc's mark barter shows us his long, celebrated career. >> reporter: for many millions of tv viewers, andy griffith was the american south personifiepe. for eight seasons, griffith played the laid-back sheriff of the fictional north carolina town of mayberry and by his side barnie fife. the show's bin nation of homespun humor and wholesome storytelling created a ratings hit. >>> we were a small town. we were a feeling. we were of a time gone that we'd like to hang on to for a little while. >> reporter: eventually, though, griffith moved on screen to the big city. >> and remember, you're under oath. >> reporter: the drama, "matlock," cast griffit

the andy griffith show was a spin-off from a guest appearance griffith on the old danny thomas show.s program called the andy griffith show was sort of what his career hung on as far as he was concerned. >> oh, good. >> for eight seasons, andy griffith played straight man to mayberry's lovable collection of characters and talked heartwarming lessons as when opie killed a mother bird with a slingshot and was plotted by his father to raise and release the birds. >> cage looks awful empty, don't it, pa? >> yes, son, it sure does. but don't the trees seem nice and full? >> i've tried -- in storytelling and the old griffith show by just telling the story of love. >> griffith left the show at its peak and went on to another successful run as a defense lawyer in matlock. and he spent his later years recording gospel albums. andy griffith down home sheriff will stand as one of the great roles in television history. >> as much as he loved the andy griffith show as much as he loved matlock i think he would want people to you know, go back and listen to one of those monologues that he did in th

the andy griffith show? from 1960 to 1968, it was a huge hit and the star, andy griffith, played the show's straight man. >> i meant charity. >> i didn't charge him nothing. >> i meant something for the joy of giving. >> i enjoyed it. >> i love playing straight because you get to see the show and be in it at the same time. >> andy's life parallelled his show in many ways. he was born in a small town in north carolina, much like the fictional mayberry and grew up in a poor, but loving home. he was studying to be a minister, but changed his major to music. his breakthrough role was in a film, a face in the crowd. >> there she goes. >> years later, he revealed sheriff andy taylor was supposed to be the funny man,. >> don called me when he saw the pilot who said, don't you need a deputy? >> rest is comedy history. >> you know we couldn't have given a sobriety test to otis last night. >> why not? >> he was too drunk. >> he turned to drama. he was awarded the presidential medal of honor. a working actor. to the en

hollywood took note and give him "the andy griffith show." went off the air, it was the number one rated program. 20 years later, he made a comeback as a guitar-playing lawyer named ben matlock. >> he did not think for a minute that he would kill him first. >> fans and friends are leaving flowers on his star at the hollywood walk of fame. he was married three times. he once said he wished he could have been a little bit more like sheriff andy taylor. abc news, new york. >> quite a loss. it is 4:57 now. it turns out checking cheese has been giving -- chuckie cheese is changing the giant rodents image amid a dip in sales. >> they will launch a national ad campaign tomorrow with a revamped image of a the mascot as an electric-guitar-playing rock star. >> still ahead never underestimate the power of twitter. it landed a complete stranger an all-expenses paid

and tonight, andy griffith, the star of the andy griffith show, one of tv's most beloved shows has diedhe fictional town of mayberry feel like home. >> for many millions of television viewers, andy griffith was the american south personified. for eight seasons, griffith played the laid-back sheriff of the fictional north carolina town of mayberry with his lovable deputy, barney fife. the combination of humor and wholesome storytelling made it a hit. >> we were a small time -- a small town and a time gone that you would like to hang on to for a while. >> and he moved on to the big screen. the drummer, matt -- the drama, matlock had him playing a defense attorney. >> the south will fool you. there are lot of bright people in the south. >> his career began in 1958 with a hit record. what it was, it was football that led him to acting. >> i am permanently treanor quarterly. >> he went to broadway, television, and film. he also received critical acclaim in drama, played an overnight singing sensation in "a face in the crowd." he won the presidential medal of freedom in 2005. and that same ye

andy griffith. stay with us.00-345-2550 ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about market volatility. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 in times like these, it can be tough to know which ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 way the wind is blowing. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, we're ready with objective insights about ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 the present market and economic conditions. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 and can help turn those insights into ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 a plan of action that's right for you. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 so don't let the current situation take you off course. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 talk to chuck. ttd#: 1-800-345-2550 delivering mail, medicine and packages. yet the house is considering a bill to close thousands of offices, slash service and layoff over 100,000 workers. the postal service is recording financial losses, but not for reasons you might think. the problem ? a burden no other agency or company bears. a 2006 law that drains $5 billion a year from post office revenue while the postal service is forced to overpay bil

griffith is best known &pfor playing a small-town sheriff on "the andy griffith &pshow"... and a defense lawyer on the series "matlock" in the eighties and nineeies.still no word on thh cause of death... but griffith's family saysshe died peacefully.he was 86-years-old. meltdown nats nats the jetblue pilot who forced passsngers to tackle and containnhim mid-flight... as been found not guilty by reason of insaniiy.in march, pilot clayttn osbon had mid-flight meltdown running through the cabin yelling about rrllgion and terrorists. yesterday... a fedeeal judge inntexas sent the pilot back to a mental health pacility for fuuther examination.osbon pleaded not of interfering with a ffight crew. tte country's first rapid over-the-counter h-i-v test... will soon be available forruse at home. home.on tuesday... thh f---a the presence of he virus that participantssswab the upper and lower gums of their mouth... then place the sample into a developer vial.the resuuts are available within 20 to 40 minutes. the kit s expected to be available in stores aad online in early october. if yo

it was a career that brought griffith the presidential medal of freedom in 2005.riffith was still working. >> could solve all the problems of the world. >> he played a high loving diner -- but for most of us, andy griffith will always be remembered as sheriff of mayberry. >> greg cannon, nbc bay area news. >> we have some other news for you now. pentagon reform talks are now being -- governor jerry brown, the governor is unhappy with the reforms that democrats are proposing and he's holding out for more. republicans who have been left out of pension talks say they're ready to vote for pension reform. >> it is barreling down the track as we speak, high-paid rail, but should california move forward with that project? state legislators will answer that question this week as they prepare to vote on issuing more than $2 billion in bonds to get that project rolling. nbc bay area's political analyst larry gers ten joins us. larry, plenty of hold ups and hesitation, the least of which is the cost of the project. >> this is a tough one, jessica. you might remember that in

andy griffith gained lasting stardom on the andy griffith show set in the fictional town of mayberrynorth carolina. for eight years starting in 1960 he played a widowed sheriff raising a son, opie, played by ron howard. >> you see, when you give something -- in this sense it's cleaning garage -- and you get something in return like a quarter that's the greatest feeling in the world. you do feel good after working, don't you? >> um-hum. good and tired. >> suarez: the supporting cast also featured the likes of aunt bea and howard mcnear as floyd the barber. most famously sheriff andy's deputy barny fife played by don knotts. >> why are we stopping here? she had to go to mount pilot. we're going to check the locks. >> no we're going to take in her laundry. >> brown: two decades later in 1986 griffith returned to weekly television in matlock. he played a cagey southern lawyer for nine years. >> and he had no idea. he didn't think for a minute that you would kill him first. >> suarez: griffith got his big break in the 1950s after he recorded a comedic mono log, what it was, was football.

of course, that was ron howard who played griffith's son opie on the andy griffith show. he tweeted "his pursuit of excellence and the joy that he took in creating served generations and shaped my life. i'm forever grateful. rest in peace, andy." griffith passed away where he lived nearly all of his life at his home in north carolina with his wife cindy by his side when he passed away. she released a statement saying andy was a person of incredibly strong christian faith and prepared to the day he'd be called home to his lord. he's the love of my life, my constant companion, my partner and my best friend. a memorial forming at griff's star at hollywood walk of fame, huge outpouring of love for one of the most iconic television actors of all time. >> you hear the whi he will, you think of the name, andy griffith and mayberry. >> don't shoot the slingshot in the office. >> andy, i was born with a slingshot. >> born andrew samuel griffith in mount airy, north carolina, 1926. after majoring in music, he wanted to be a singer. so in 1952, he hit the road. turns out he was a be

we'll look back at the life of andy griffith. good to have you with us. thanks for watching. millions of americans are going to be traveling over the next few days and we're going to by wi buying a lot of gas. republicans wanted to celebrate the fourth of july by hammering president obama over rising gas prices. it isn't working out the way they hoped. today, the national average for a gallon of gasoline is $3.33. it's the lowest price per gallon since last december. over the last three months, gas prices have fallen from a national high of $3.92 back in april. in some southern states in this country, the average cost is already below $3 a gallon. all of a sudden, what's that noise? i can't hear it. it's because the republicans are all of a sudden quiet about energy policy. you see, they were making all kinds of noise about high gas prices back in the spring. leaders of congress, the presidential candidates, and the right-wing media all over this president, saying he's the problem. putting the blame on president obama. >> since this president has been president, the cost of g

life of andy griffith ahead. in an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz now for an exceptional price during the summer event. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st. and so too is the summer event. now get an incredible offer on the powerful c250 sport sedan. but hurry before this opportunity...disappears. the mercedes-benz summer event ends july 31st. well, the supreme court has sprung a leak in republicans, uh-oh, they're drinking tainted water all of a sudden. john roberts initially voted to strike down the individual care act mandate before deciding to up hold it. their report is based on two unanimous sources. the right wing loves the leak. they said he caved to the pressure so he wouldn't be viewed as an activist judge. it gives them a great excuse to attack roberts and blast the court's decision as flawed. >> he voted to keep it and frankly i think he should be ashamed of himself. he was going to go the other way 100%, everybody said from inside, that he was going to other way, and all of a sudden, he vote

the "andy griffith show" was a spinoff from when he was on the danny thomas show. >> when the "andy griffitho succeed. he didn't feel like he was going to become a major movie star and there was a program called the "andy griffith show" was sort of what his career hung on as far as he was concerned. >> reporter: for eight seasons andy griffith played straight man to mayberry's loveable collection of characters and taught heartwarming lessons, as when opie killed a mother bird with a sling shot and then was prodded by his father to raise and release the baby birds. >> cage sure looks awful empty, don't it, pa? >> yes, son, it sure does. but don't the trees seem nice and full? >> i tried in story telling, in the old griffith show by just telling the story of love. >> reporter: griffith left the show at its peak and went on to another successful run as a defense lawyer in "matlock" and spent his later years recording gospel albums. andy griffith's downhome sheriff will stand as one of his great roles in television history. >> as much as he loved the "andy riffith show", as much as he ndy loved

griffith earned a star on hollywood's walk of fame 36 years ago.emembers griffith as the defense attorney in matlock. >> i think we have lost somebody that started a lot of the beginning of good family values at home. >> reporter: howard says to fully appreciate's griffith's life, look beyond his biggest roles. >> look at face in the crowd or one of his dramatic turns. he was a real artist. >> reporter: andy griffith was 86 years old. >>> we begin 9news now at 6:00 a.m. with the latest on our epic storm and of course the aftermath. >> five days after the historic storm blew through, there are still more than 100,000 people without power. at last check pepco had more than 60,000 people off line. >> across the region the cooling centers have been open all week and they will stay open for the holiday. in addition, many public swimming pools will open earlier and stay open later so people can cool off. >>> it

on tuesday, as news of griffith's death began to spread, brad paisley, who featured griffith in his video on "waiting on a woman," took to twitter in tribute. andy griffith changed the world. i was so proud to work with him. and so did the actor and oscar-winning director, known back then as ronnie howard. he tweeted, his pursuit in excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations and shaped my life. i'm forever grateful. rest in peace, andy. howard began his showbiz career as opie, andy's son and fishing buddy. griffith started in the '50s, as an ambitious demagogue in "a face in the crowd." and then, country lawyering, in the '80s series "matlock." yet, "the andy griffith show" remains his signature. >> tv shows come and go. but there's only one andy griffith. >> reporter: in 2005, george w. bush presented him with the medal of freedom. >> it was about a little town and all the people who lived in it. all those sweet shows, they just came with the territory. >> reporter: griffith died in his home state of north carolina, at the age of 86. leaving memories of warm sunshine a

hollywood took note and gave him the andy griffith show.ent off air it was number one. 20 years later he made a come back as ben matlock. >> he didn't think for a minute that you would kill him first. >> reporter: off screen he made music releasing a series of gospel cd's. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: elements of his personal life would have distressed aunt bee married three times he once said he could have been a little more like sheriff taylor. of course ron howard opie has become a famous director. he left a dell able impression as a talk show host who becomes a tv -- star in a face in the crowd. andy five great was 86-years-old -- andy griffith was 86-years-old, a real icon. >>> expedition to try to solve mysterious disappearance of amelia earhart is underway. scientists and historians trekking from honolulu to gardner island in the south pacific hoping to find the wreckage of her plane. earhart and her nav have a -- gator went missing 75 years ago -- and her navigator went missing 75 years ago yesterday. >>> mike has the forecast. >>> a lot of

on the andy griffith show. waits set in the fictional town of mayberry, based on his actual hometown. in the 80s he played a southern lawyer in the crime drama "matlock". he was 86 years old. and what an icon. >> so cute. always said andy tailor was a better man than andy griffith. >> i'm a nativive north carolinain. they're proud of him. and there is no scandal or anything. lived up to the image. >> and his friends are tweeting about the huge impact he had on them. >> hollywood is heart broken over the death of andy griffith z celebrities have been flooding twitter with sympathyes including ron howard who wrote the joy he took in creating for generations shaped my life. i'm forever grateful. and henry winkeler put relationship and forever in our memory, andy griffith. and one of the reasons i do what i do. and country singer brad paysly wrote he entertained the world, improved our lives and so proud to work with him and call him a friend. paysly is preparing for a big 4th of july, joining the president for the

>> osgood: in 1955 griffith went from small town to big city.on broadway in the show "no time for sergeants," which won him a tony nomination along with a chance to shine in the 1957 movie adaptation >> the train ready for inspection, sir. >> welcoming the colonel, sir. osgood: in between, griffith had revealed a totally different side of his talent. >> i am ready. osgood: playing a maniacal tv star in the 1957 film "a face in the crowd." >> they're mine. i own 'em. they think like i do. they're even more stupid than i am, so i've got to think for them >> osgood: all the same it was with his portrayal of mayberry sheriff andy taylor in the 1960s that griffith made his most enduring mark. >> you see that apple right there? >> yes, pa reporter: alongside a young ron howard as opie >> you didn't leave nothing for the worm. >> reporter: don knots as deputy barny fife >> you're just being nice reporter: jim neighbors as gomer pyle >> i don't do no engine work reporter: and francis as aunt bea. >> look who is here. osgood: week after week year after y

today we learned andy griffith as died. all day long, so many remembering that fictional town of mayberry and that whistle. >> reporter: it was the whistle heard in american households for a decades in the 1960s. andy griffith was america'sy sheriff, where his wisdom, wit, and folksy sense of humor, led that american town. the show debuted in 1960. a young ronnie howard playing the widowed sheriff's young son, opie. >> you got some kind of problem? >> well, i got something to ask you, something important. >> yeah. well, go ahead. >> can i run away from home? >> reporter: and who could forget aunt bea? >> come in this house. >> and don knots. he and griffith were one of america's most popular comedy duos. >> thank you, reliable barney. >> we didn't know when we started it that it was going to last that long or influence so many people. we were just trying to do a good show. >> reporter: the fictional town was like the town where griffith was born. he grew up singing and playing the guitar. few knew he began his career as a h