"At approximately 7:00 a.m., July 3, 2012, Andy Griffith passed away at his home on Roanoke Island, Dare County, North Carolina. The family will release further information shortly," Sheriff J.D. "Dough" Doughtie said in a written statement.
"We appreciate your concern and I extend my condolences to the family."
Griffith created another memorable character, the folksy defense lawyer in "Matlock" in the 1980s and '90s, but it was his portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on the "The Andy Griffith Show" in the 1960s that gave him a place in U.S. television history.
The show portrayed life in the friendly, slow-moving fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, which was widely believed to have been based on Griffith's own hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina.
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LISTEN: Andy Griffith sings the theme song to "The Andy Griffith Show" below...
