Andy Griffith Dead At 86 } Video of Mulberry Included
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Television icon Andy Griffith died Tuesday morning at his North Carolina home, according to WITN. He was 86. Griffith’s close friend and former University of North Carolina president Bill Friday confirmed his death, telling the news station Griffith passed away at 7 a.m.
An emergency medical crew responded to a call from Griffith’s home in Manteo, N.C., Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie told WAVY. The cause of death is not yet known, though Griffith has had a history of health problems. He suffered a heart attack in 2000, after which he had quadruple bypass surgery. In 2006, he broke his hip in a fall and spent at least two weeks in the hospital.
Griffith, a native of Mount Airy, N.C., put the southern state on the map with his eponymous primetime program The Andy Griffith Show, set in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C. Griffith starred as the tiny town’s beloved sheriff, accompanied by his inept deputy Barney Fife. The show was a ratings hit throughout its eight seasons, producing a number of spinoffs and launching Griffith into larger productions. He starred as the charming Southern lawyer Matlock in the late 80s and early 90s
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