Maybe that title isn't totally accurate. The more I think about it, you could technically say that the whistling died the day they canceled "The Andy Griffith Show". But it was on in syndication for so long that that never truly seemed to be the case. However, it definitely now feels as though it has been silenced in a way forever.
Iconic actor Andy Griffith passed away last Tuesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 86-years-old.
"The Andy Griffith" shows was one of the many of the classics I learned to appreciate when I was younger. I think I probably initially checked it out because I wanted to see the show that spawned the career of Richie Cunningham. "Happy Days" was still on in primetime when I was a kid so I knew him from that. Wow that's incredible to think that I'm so old that I remember "Happy Days" during primetime.
Anyway, I could never fully get into "The Andy Griffith Show". Contrary to what folks may think about Norwalk back then, it wasn't country and/or rural. It was just a smaller version of Des Moines so we all considered ourselves to be "city folk". I couldn't really relate to a show about smalltown country living. Nevertheless, I would still tune in every now and then to get a good laugh about how corny everything was.
Some younger folks are more familiar with Andy thanks to his work in "Matlock". That's another show that I could never get into. I didn't mind the whole courtroom drama aspect, but I just couldn't get past the fact that he would always be Sherriff Taylor to me. And his was the only whistle song that mattered.
Rest in peace, Mr. Griffith.
