I don’t have a whole lot to say, as I never really watched him beyond occasional snatches of Andy Griffith reruns.
But, Godspeed, Private Pyle!
RIP, I watched him when I was at my grandparents house as a kid, always funny.
I kinda thought he had been dead for years. Well gol-ly!
Loved Gomer Pyle as a kid. RIP sir.
Rest in peace indeed. Used to enjoy Pyle reruns. The character sort of grew beyond the show and was referenced quite a bit in Full Metal Jacket.
Um, if I’m remembering correctly Pyle was also the character in a juvenile bit of humor when it came to jokes we’d tell in high school.
Edit: removed question that was answered already in summary.
Yeah I just saw he was a singer when surfing for him on youtube. What a voice!
Yeah, he had a gorgeous voice. This is the song from Gomer Pyle that immediately comes to mind for me:
His rendition of (Back Home Again in) Indiana brought me to tears more than once in the stands at the Indianapolis 500. His voice was incredible and it somehow centered the whole event every year. RIP Jim.
His performance at the Indianapolis 500 was, to me, as much a part of the event as My Old Kentucky Home at the Kentucky Derby.
Gol-ly. RIP.
Exactly. My kids sing the song at various times year round because of him. Even now after he’s been gone for three years, it’s still the first thing I think of when The Month of May comes around. Jim Cornelison was great last year and they have kept him on for 2018 but I don’t think anyone will ever be Jim. I’ll be in those stands until they stop running the 500 or I can’t physically make it inside the doors. Jim Nabors helped make it that special for me.
I’ll always remember Pyle’s “animal, vegetable, or mineral” method of organizing the marine supplies when he took over as supply sergeant.
Thanks for the many years of fond memories, Mr. Nabors.
You were always a class act.
