‘The Andy Griffith Show’s Best Musical Moments — How Many Do You Remember?
The Andy Griffith Show is beloved for its rural Southern charm, homespun humor, and the unflappable patience and gentle wisdom of Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith). But its most diehard fans probably agree that the very best episodes throughout the show’s eight seasons feature Andy grabbing his guitar and serenading his gal, or ending a crisis with a little pickin’ and singin’ — by himself, with Barney or accompanying some talented townsfolk.
From the jug-band stylings of the Grammy-nominated Dillards as the Darling family, to the melodious outbursts of town mechanic Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), here are some of The Andy Griffith Show‘s most unforgettable musical moments.
The Darling family
Played by Grammy-nominated bluegrass pioneers The Dillards, the backwoods Darling brothers never had much to say, unless it was set to music — and sometimes even then still. Helmed by widowed, jug-puffing patriarch Briscoe Darling (Denver Pyle, The Dukes of Hazzard), the Darling boys and their sister Charlene first appeared in Season 3 episode 25, which was aptly called “The Darlings are Coming.”
In that episode, the family heads into Mayberry to collect Charlene’s soldier fiancé, Dud Wash, only to have Charlene fall for the “pretty man” Sheriff Taylor, all of which sets a running theme for The Darlings’ future appearances.
Also watch: “Divorce, Mountain Style”
Can you even say you’re an Andy Griffith fan if you’re not familiar with the Darlings’ rollicking version of the folk chestnut “Boil Them Cabbage Down”? The number features the requisite “bile” pronunciation of “boil,” plus a mini hoedown and guest vocals by a pre-island Gilligan himself, Bob Denver, who took over the role of Charlene’s now-husband Dud Wash from Hoke Howell.
Did You Know?: The reason the Darling boys rarely uttered a word and maintained a steadfast pokerface is because Dillards members Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne were only supposed to appear in a single episode, in non-speaking roles. The fans went crazy for them just as they were, though, and so the Darling Boys stayed silent throughout the half-dozen episodes in which they appeared. The Dillards also revealed that Griffith allowed them to retain ownership of the songs that appeared in those episodes, which was rare and very much welcomed.
Charlene Darling
Pretty blond actress and singer Maggie Peterson played the Darling boys’ man-crazy sister Charlene, who got her own moments in the spotlight apart from her brothers. The product of a musical family, Peterson was touring Nevada hotspots when she was spotted by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben, who encouraged her to read for the series.
Peterson first tried out for the role of Sheriff Taylor’s love interest Ellie Walker (which went to Father Knows Best star Elinor Donahue), but endeared herself to Griffith fans as the cheeky Charlene, who never really does get over her mooning for Andy.
Also watch: “The Darling Baby”
After Charlene and Dud successfully marry and become proud parents to an infant daughter they name Andelina, the Darlings come back into town seeking an arranged marriage between the baby girl and Opie (Ron Howard). Once things get straightened out, Charlene warbles a lovely “There is a Time,” which was written by the Dillards.
Did You Know: Aside from her boy-crazy tendencies, Charlene has another memorable personality trait: she is known to claim that songs such as “Never Hit Your Gramma with a Great Big Stick” and “Keep Your Money in Your Shoes and it Won’t Get Wet” make her cry. Turns out that the genuinely moving “There is a Time” doesn’t move her one bit.
To honor Charlene, Peterson, and the running gag, Rodney Dillard eventually released a CD called, of course, “Songs That Made Charlene Cry.”
Gomer Pyle
One of The Andy Griffith Show‘s most beloved episodes, “The Song Festers” (Season 4, Episode 20), features a musical showdown between Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) and mechanic and gas station worker Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors). The church choir director realizes that Barn is the only candidate to sing a needed solo for his number and finds salvation when he hears Gomer singing along outside the window. In the end, every man gets his musical due and peace and harmony return to the choir.
Also watch: “Gomer the House Guest”
Nabors’ vocals were used in service of comedy, too. In the sixth episode of Season 4, Andy takes Gomer in as a house guest after Gomer loses his job at the gas station, which was also his home. But the sheriff soon learns that his boarder’s habits don’t quite mesh with his own after he’s awakened with Gomer’s energetic bathroom-mirror performance of “A No-Count Mule.”
Did You Know: Nabors proved so popular on The Andy Griffith Show that he earned the spin-off Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. But one Mayberry resident had to be convinced. According to an article in First for Women, pop culture historian Geoffrey Mark said Frances Bavier, who played Aunt Bee, thought the charming newcomer would steal her screen time. In time, Nabors won her over, and the two became good friends.
Aunt Bee
Yes, even Aunt Bee got in on the action — most notably in the wondrous episode “Aunt Bee’s Medicine Man” (Season 3, Episode 24). This gem features Frances Bavier mourning the loss of her friend — and her youth — and desperately searching for something to return her zest for life. Enter John Dehner‘s traveling salesman Colonel Harvey, who sells Bee and her friends some “genuine Indian elixir” that’s actually 85 percent hooch.
Andy eventually discovers the true reason for Bee’s newfound vigor and tracks her down to the Ladies Aid Church Committee, where a beaming Aunt Bee is bouncing her fanny up and down on the piano stool and plinking away as she and the well-aided ladies belt out “When the Lights Are Low.”
In the same episode, a tip-tip-tipsy Bee and none-the-wiser Opie team up for “Toot, Toot, Tootsie!”
Also watch: “A Singer in Town” (Season 6, episode 30)
In this full color episode, pop star Keevy Hazleton (Jesse Pearson) arrives in Mayberry looking for a little rest, relaxation and escape from the public eye. But Aunt Bee and her pal Clara spot an opportunity to land a bigger audience for their ditty “Mayberry, My Hometown,” and hilarity ensues.
Did You Know: Apparently, Bavier wasn’t Griffith’s first choice to play Aunt Bee, due to Bavier’s classical training. The actress and others thought this bias continued to play out on set. “I’ve had to take a backseat and watch others get the laughs,” Bavier told TV Guide in January 1964, adding that the ongoing slight even sent her to therapy.
As Briscoe Darling once said, “If you got time to breathe, you got time for music.” And these are just a few of The Andy Griffith Show‘s most musical moments. Tell us about your favorite in the comments below!
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