Andy Griffith passed away from a heart attack July 3, 2012. He was 86 years old and a longtime resident of North Carolina.
He is best known for his role on “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Matlock”. In the Outer Banks he was known for starting his career in the 1940’s with “The Lost Colony” before moving on to movies and television.
Andy Griffith was one of the founding members of The Outer Banks Community Foundation which was “organized in October 1982 as a public charity to meet local needs in the Outer Banks area not ordinarily within the province of other charitable organizations, religious institutions, or government.”
With the passing of Andy Griffith we have had Brad Paisley’s music video “Waitin on a Woman” resurface.
The video was filmed in the Outer Banks and contains scenery from Cape Hatteras and Nags Head as well as the Outlet Mall.
From an article in the LA Times Brad Paisley reminisces about how he reached out to him for the music video. Paisley wrote a letter that said, “This song epitomizes your character as well as the values and things you celebrate, and I wonder if you wanted to be in a music video.
Before they filmed the video the Paisley family came to spend the day with him and a friendship was formed. While shooting the video Brad Paisley remembers the part when he goes to sit on the bench he said “Here comes this legendary actor and he sits down and says, ‘You waitin’ on a woman?’ I look over at him and I never in my life had a more surreal moment than that first take.”
They became friends and one time while Brad Paisley was putting on a concert in Virginia Beach he was able to brighten Andy’s day by setting up a jam session at Andy’s home for an afternoon since Andy had been sick.
Andy Griffith had a love of music throughout his life and even was a high school music teacher in Goldsboro, NC and the president of the University of North Carolina’s Men’s Glee Club. Through the years he sang in different roles and produced southern gospel albums as well as a Christmas album.
Later in life Andy kept to himself and valued his privacy. He had a strong love for this area and was laid to rest on his beloved Roanoke Island. We will miss you Andy!
