The Influential Life and Career of ’60s Sitcom Legend Andy Griffith

Born in Poverty

Born in North Carolina, Andy Griffith was an only child. Things weren’t easy for Griffith from the very beginning, as he faced a troubled upbringing. His parents were poor, and he had to live with his relatives until his parents were able to save enough money to afford a house.

Even baby Griffith was forced to sleep in a dresser drawer for months, as his parents were not able to afford an extra cot or a crib. As they say, diamonds are truly found in coals!

The Future Star

When Griffith was three years old, his father started to work as a carpenter and gradually managed to buy a family home in an industrial neighborhood. Young Griffith grew up listening to various kinds of music. In school, he was the shyest and most introverted boy in his class.

Griffith gradually started to come out of his shell, and found some entertaining way to make his classmates laugh. This behavioral change led Griffith to get participate in school plays. Landing him several roles, the future star was in the making!

The Musical Man

Griffith was a musical man all along. He learned to play the trombone, while still at school. His love of music led him to attend the University of North Carolina to study music.

Griffith earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. While in university, he performed in many plays, honing his acting skills. After graduation, Griffith joined a high school in North Carolina as a music teacher. He taught music and drama there for several years.

Changing the Path

After years of teaching, Griffith and his then-wife, Barbara Edwards, decided to make a change in their lives. Barbara was an actress at the time. She and Griffith finally decided to break free and try their luck in the entertainment industry.

The creative pair formed a routine that allowed them to travel around. They combined singing and dancing, as well as monologues read by Griffith himself. Leaving the comfortable life behind to start something passionate is quite challenging, but Griffith reaped his reward soon!

The First Limelight

One particular monologue from his repertoire, named “What it Was, Was Football”, told the story of a person trying to figure out what a football game is all about. In 1953, the monologue was released, under the same name, by Colonial Records. The single became an instant hit!

It also became one of the most popular comedy monologues in history. The success of the single led the Griffith couple to move to the entertainment hotspot of that time, New York, in 1954. He became a guest monologist on the popular Ed Sullivan Show.