"The Son Of NC": Andy Griffith Passes Away


This evening, the nation is morning the loss of The Son of North Carolina. Andy Griffith died at about 7 a.m. at his home on Roanoke Island. He passed away after an unspecified illness and "has been laid to rest on his beloved Roanoake Island," the family said in a statement. Best known for his role on "The Andy Griffith Show," the University of North Carolina music graduate also starred as a murder-solving Southern attorney in the television serie "Matlock" during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for his roles in movies and on the stage, as a producer and as a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer. President George W. Bush honored Griffith in 2005 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "demonstrating the finest qualities of our country and for a lifetime of memorable performances that have brought joy to millions of Americans of all ages." A member of the Televison Hall of Fame, Griffith also was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. His 1996 album, "I Love to Tell the Story -- 25 Timeless Hymns," netted him a Grammy Award.