George Lindsey

Life and career

George Lindsey was born in Fairfield, Alabama and grew up in the small town of Jasper. He graduated from Walker County High School (Jasper) in 1946 and then attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, and Florence State Teacher's College (Florence, Alabama) (now the University of North Alabama), where he majored in physical education and biology, played quarterback on the football team, and received a Bachelor of Science in 1952.

After graduating from college he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. After his discharge, he taught for a year at Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Alabama, while waiting to be accepted by the American Theater Wing in New York City in 1956. After graduating from the Wing and performing in two Broadway plays, "Wonderful Town" and "All American", he moved to Los Angeles in 1962. He got parts in TV series of the day including Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Real McCoys, The Twilight Zone, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and three episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, before he got the role he would become famous for as "Goober" on The Andy Griffith Show.

The Andy Griffith Show, as "Goober Pyle" (1964)

In 1964, Lindsey was cast as the slow-witted but kindly "Goober Beasley" on The Andy Griffith Show. His character was later renamed "Goober Pyle" to tie him to his cousin Gomer Pyle, slow-witted country boy played by Jim Nabors, also from Alabama. Goober's antics frequently included his exaggerated "Goober Dance" and his comically bad Cary Grant impression.

As Lindsey started his portrayal as Goober, he also had a minor role in the Walter Brennan series The Tycoon on ABC. Lindsey played a sailor in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver, the sequel to Mister Roberts. He also had a role in a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode entitled Submarine Sunk Here. He appeared in six episodes of the television series Gunsmoke. He played a blackmailing taxicab driver in the "Bed of Roses" episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Mayberry R.F.D., other acting work

After Griffith left his television show, CBS retooled it as Mayberry R.F.D. and Lindsey played the same character, until CBS cancelled the program in 1971. In his autobiography, Lindsey said though Mayberry R.F.D. gave his character more to do, he never felt the show's writing was up to the standards of The Andy Griffith Show.

In 1972, Lindsey portrayed Charlie, one of a pair of highwaymen in the Gunsmoke episode "Blind Man's Buff," and an escaped convict, "The Dove," in an episode of The Rifleman. Disney used his talents in a few projects, both as comedy support in features (Snowball Express) and voiceovers for a few of their animated characters. Three Disney animated features that presented the voice of Lindsey were The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977). He appeared in the 1967 Gunsmoke episode "Mad Dog" as one of the Watson Brothers.

In 1978, Lindsey guest starred on M*A*S*M*A*S*H as Roy Dupree, a Southern surgeon. In 1997 Lindsey played himself in an episode of NewsRadio.

As "Goober" on Hee Haw (1972–1992)

Lindsey portrayed "Goober" for the third and last time on the syndicated country music variety show Hee Haw, playing a more rustic version of the character. He appeared on that show from 1972-92.

Death

Lindsey died on May 6, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee following a brief unspecified illness. He was 83. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama.

His last guest appearance was on Larry the Cable Guy's Hula Palooza Christmas Luau in 2009.

Honors and citations

Lindsey raised over US$1,000,000 for Alabama Special Olympics through 17 years of the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama and another $50,000 for the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens, and participated as Head Coach-Winter Games in the Minneapolis, Minnesota Special Olympics National Competition.

He established and perpetuated the George Lindsey Academic Scholarships at University of North Alabama. In 1992, the university gave him an honorary doctorate.

Lindsey was the 1995 recipient of the Governor's Achievement Award — Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The State of Alabama named the "George Lindsey Highway" in Jasper, Alabama after the actor. In 1998, he established the George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival that takes place at the University of North Alabama annually in the spring.

He was the 1997 recipient of the Minnie Pearl Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2007 recipient of the first ICON Award presented by the Nashville Associations of Talent Directors.

Autobiography