Remembering Jim Nabors

James Thurston Nabors (known far and wide as "Jim") was born on June 12th, 1930. His parents were Fred Nabors and Mavis Pearl Newman Nabors. Fred Nabors was a police officer. Jim Nabors sang for his high school and for his church, alongside his two sisters. Nabors learned his acting skill by starring in skits while attending the University Of Alabama. Nabors also became a member of the Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. After graduating from the University, Nabors moved to New York City and got a job as a typist for the United Nations!

A year later, Nabors moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. This is when he landed his very first job in the business -- that of a film cutter! He was raised in Sylacauga Alabama, but had to move to California due to his asthma. When Nabors moved to California, he was employed as a film cutter for NBC. Nabors moonlighted as a singer at The Horn, a Santa Monica tavern. Nabors would sometimes sing in his baritone voice and sometimes he would speak and sing in his higher pitched, comedic voice (Nabors would later use this voice in his portrayal of Gomer Pyle).

Comedian Bill Dana saw Nabors perform and invited him to appear on the Steve Allen Show. Nabors agreed and even signed a contract to appear. But the series was soon cancelled. This turned out to be a very lucky break for Nabors. One day, while working in a Santa Monica night club, Nabors was discovered by a man named Andy Griffith. Griffith eventually found a spot for the young talent on The Andy Griffith Show. Nabors played the role of naive country boy and gas station attendant, Gomer Pyle . Nabors was originaly cast for a one-off as Gomer Pyle, the somewhat "adlebrained" gas station attendant. Nabors made his first appearance in the Andy Griffith Show, Season 3; Episode #13: "The Bank Job". Nabors fit right in and his character quickly became a favorite among viewers and "Gomer Pyle" became a regular on the series.

Nabors became so popular in fact, that the producers decided to spin him off into his own series! He would still be "Gomer Pyle" , but he would be in completely new surroundings. The Show was "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." and featured naive, sweet-natured Gomer Pyle in the solid, sturdy and macho United States Marine Corps. This was a deliberate choice by the producers. They felt that this would be the an interesting dichotomy for the viewers to observe. And it worked! "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." aired on CBS from September 25th, 1964-May 2nd, 1969. The series was introduced via The Andy Griffith Show, Season Four on May 18th, 1964. The episode had actually been filmed in 1963, but had been saved until then, so that it could be the finale episode for Season 4.

Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, themselves writers for the "Andy Griffith Show" were the two whom had created the "Gomer Pyle" character. The character was based on an incompetent gas station attendant that Fritzell had encountered and named "Gomer Cool" after the writer. Gomer's surname came from actor Denver Pyle. The "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." show was a solid hit and NEVER placed lower than #10 in the Nielson Ratings! The show ended it's run as the second highest ratings in the United States. It has also proved to be massively popular in reruns and on other media, such as VHS tapes and DVDs! The rural comedies of the time were extremely popular and were treated as "escapist shows". People tuned in in order to escape the ills of the real world in such places as "Mayberry" and "Hooterville". You will notice, that in all 150 half hour shows (some in black and white during the first season and then in color for the remaining four seasons) NEVER discussed or even MENTIONED the war in Vietnam! Yes, this was odd for a show that was military based but it had not been designed to do so. "The show focused on Gomer's innocent simplicity" and "Sergeant Carter's frustration and later concern for Gomer's well being". Frank Sutton, whom played the role of Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter, also ascribed the shows's popularity to the concentration of the two main characters.

The show was even in the top three for every season but Season 3 (CBS moved the show to Wednesdays that season). Nabors quit the show after the fifth season due to a desire to: "reach for another rung on the ladder, be it up or down." Nabors then hosted "The Jim Nabors Variety Hour" with his friends Frank Sutton and Ronnie Schell, whom had played "Duke" Slater, "one of Gomer's friends on the series. Jim Nabors also appeared on every first season episode of "The Carol Burnett Show" for the duration of it's run. In fact, Burnett liked to refer to Jim Nabors as her "Good Luck Charm". Nabors played his first "serious" role on a 1973 episode of "The Rookies". Nabors was an assassin. From 1977 to 1978, Nabors hosted another variety show: "The Jim Nabors Show" for which Nabors was nominated for a "Daytime Emmy Award For Outstanding Host Or Hostess In A Talk, Service Or Variety Series".

Nabors was persuaded by Sid And Marty Krofft to do a Saturday Morning TV Series called "The Lost Saucer". Nabors, alongside Ruth Buzzi, played a pair of androids named "Fi" and "Fum" (Nabors was "Fum" by the way). Nabors appeared in three movies with his good friend Burt Reynolds. Nabors was in "Cannonball Run 2", "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" and "Stroker Ace" (Nabors earned a "Golden Raspberry Award" for his performance in the latter film). In 1976, Nabors moved to Hawaii and performed many stage shows there. In 1994, Nabors suffered from a near fatal case of Hepititis B. Carol Burnett helped procure a kidney transplant for Nabors, which saved his life.

Nabors retired from performing in March of 2014. Nabors cited his health as the reason. On January 15th, 2013, Nabors married his partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader. Jim Nabors died on November 30th , 2017 at his home in Honolulu Hawaii. Jim Nabors was 87 years old. R.I.P.