Who Were Andy Griffith’s Wives?

Lauren Novak June 5, 7:00 am

Andy Griffith, right, and his first wife, Barbara Griffith, at the New York premiere of A FACE IN THE CROWD, 1957 — Everett Collection

Andy Griffith will always be remembered as the steady, kind-hearted Sheriff Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, but behind the scenes, his love life had its share of twists and turns. Over the course of his long career, Griffith was married three times, and each relationship brought something different to his life.

Here’s a closer look at the women who shared their lives with the beloved star.

Barbara Bray Edwards

LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 2: Actor Andy Griffith (center) poses for a photo with his wife Barbara and producer/director Mervyn LeRoy (left) at the Screen Directors Dinner on February 2 1957 in los Angeles, California

Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Griffith met his first wife, Barbara Bray Edwards, long before Mayberry; the two got together while both were studying music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the early 1940s. She was a soprano with dreams of becoming an opera singer, and he was focused on both music and acting. They married on August 22, 1949, and even performed together in a touring act that mixed music, dancing and comedy.

They adopted two children: a son, Andy Samuel Griffith Jr. (known as Sam) and a daughter, Dixie Nann Griffith. After nearly 23 years of marriage, they divorced in 1972. Their son, Sam, later became a real estate developer but struggled with alcoholism and passed away in 1996 at the age of 38. Dixie, who has remained mostly out of the spotlight, gave Griffith three granddaughters.

Solica Cassuto

Just one year after his divorce, Griffith married again. This time, his bride was Solica Cassuto, a Greek actress and singer. Unlike Barbara, Solica did not perform publicly with Griffith, and she kept a lower profile during their relationship. They married in 1973, but the marriage lasted only eight years before ending in 1981. Not much is known about their time together, as both tended to avoid the press during those years.

Cindi Knight

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By the early 1980s, Griffith was working on a new project, the TV movie Murder in Coweta County, and it turned out to be more of a life-changing experience than expected. On set, he met Cindi Knight, a young actress who had a minor role in the film.

The two hit it off, and they were married on April 12, 1983. Cindi stepped back from acting and focused on their home life. She reportedly stayed by his side through health issues in his later years, and they remained together until his death in 2012.