George Lindsey dies at 83

Washington: George Lindsey, who was known for his act as Goober Pyle in the TV series ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, died following a brief illness in Nashville on Sunday. He was 83. The actor was born in Fairfield, Alabama, in 1928, and was active in theater even before he could start his career on Television. Having failed the auditions in 1962 for a role in “The Andy Griffith Show”, Lindsey grabbed the role of Goober Pyle for the same TV series two years later. Many years afterward, he repeated the Goober Pyle role on the program “Hee Haw” and the comedy circuit. In a statement released by the funeral home, actor Andy Griffith said that he considered Lindsey as a friend as well as a former colleague. He praised Lindsey``s spirit and talent and revealed that they often talked by phone in recent years. “I am happy to say that as we found ourselves in our eighties, we were not afraid to say, ``I love you,``“ the 85-year-old actor added. ANI