Jim Nabors, 'Gomer Pyle' star, dead at 87

[TallGeekyGirl]

Jim Nabors, who created one of TV’s beloved comedic characters, Gomer Pyle, died Thursday in Hawaii at the age of 87, his personal assistant Charisse Gines confirmed for USA TODAY.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usa.../amp/909603001

[Beachlife!]

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Nabors was far more than Gomer Pile. He will be missed.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Well Golly (I wrote that much before reading the article ).

I knew he wasn't dead, although I had heard nothing about him since his marriage. That was news, locally, because he got married here.

Seaboe

[Bobcat Warrior]

Jim Nabors was a real class act. He used to put on an annual show at the Hawaii Theater. Both of my daughters belonged to a choral group that performed on a regular basis in his show. At one of the rehearsals the stage hands had worked through their dinner break in order to resolve some problem. When Nabors heard that, he personally walked to a nearby pizza place and brought back a dozen pizzas for the stage hands. He always took time to talk with the kids performing in his annual show

He lived near Waikiki, so it was fairly common to see him on Waikiki Beach. He would walk up to beach goers and introduce himself by saying: "Hi! my name is Jim, what's your's?"

BW

[Mouse]

I just know him through Simpsons references. “I’m afraid Robert Goulet hasn’t arrived yet.” “Very well, then begin the thawing of Jim Nabors.” And this bit:

Marge: I before E except after C
Lisa: Except when pronounced like "ay" as in "neighbor" and "weigh"
Marge: Really? What about in the sentence "Jim Nabors is way cool"?
Lisa: How often is that going to come up?
Marge: It's on my apron!

Sadly, Marge, Jim Nabors is no longer way cool.

[DrRocket]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Nabors was far more than Gomer Pile. He will be missed.

I was at the 97th running in 2013. That was the next to last time he sang "Back Home Again." I remember that although his health wasn't the best, he still sounded pretty good.

RIP Jim.

[Beachlife!]

I'm there every year. It was very sad in 1999 when he didn't sing it anymore. It just doesn't sound right when anyone else does it.

[Ali Infree]

I agree, he had a wonderful voice. IIRC, the rumors that he was gay go very far back, and I find it interesting that these rumors did not prevent him from continuing his post Gomer career.
RIP Jim


Ali

[UEL]

Only thing I ever saw him in was the film Stoker Ace, with Burt Reynolds.

He was funny there. My Dad told me about Gomer Pyle but I've never seen it on television or Netflix or anything like that.

He was seemingly a very nice man. And a talented actor and comedian.

I think that Hollywood is a better place for his time spent there.

[TallGeekyGirl]

Being an old fan and something of an aficionado of those corny old Krofft Supershows from my childhoo--- err... the mid 70's... he was also one of the comical androids in The Lost Saucer, with Ruth Buzzi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Saucer

[ganzfeld]

Ah, that's why I remembered him as "I said lunch, not launch!" Right studio, wrong show. But similar. (And I knew he was with the dorse so I was like "wait, no, huh?") Thanks

[DawnStorm]

Looks like MeTV is running the series Gomer Pyle USMC. I think it's on at 9:30 weeknights.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Ali Infree

I agree, he had a wonderful voice. IIRC, the rumors that he was gay go very far back, and I find it interesting that these rumors did not prevent him from continuing his post Gomer career.

I can think of a few other famous guys who managed the same thing - Paul Lynde, Liberace, Rip Taylor. It was possible, back in the 60s and 70s, so long as you kept your performances sexless (or faked hetero well) and didn't do anything that made the straight folks uncomfortable (e.g., asking for equal rights, expecting acknowledgement of/respect for your partner/relationship).

One of the clips in the Pioneers of Television (PBS) episode about talk shows was Paul Lynde on The Tonight Show in the 60s, and the host* made a joke about Lynde hanging out on a certain street -- judging from Lynde's and the audience's reactions, that apparently was the street where the gay bars were in LA at that time.

*Could have been late Jack Paar or early Johnny Carson. I don't think it was Steve Allen, but I could be wrong.

[E. Q. Taft]

I admit to being a little startled in later years when I found out that Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Riley were gay -- then, I was flabbergasted that I hadn't realized it years before. During the time I was mostly exposed to them (watching game shows in the early-to-mid seventies) it wasn't really something I thought about, and then they just weren't in my consciousness in later years.

As for Nabors, one thing I was pleased by was that (with the exception of one story on an LGBT-oriented news site) the obituaries I read, while they mentioned that he had married his partner a few years ago, otherwise just didn't talk about his orientation at all. Mentioning the marriage, they obviously weren't trying to bury it, but they also didn't make a bit point about it. Which is how it ought to be. (I forget where I heard it the other night -- it was something I'd heard before -- but basically, it was, "When being gay is boring, we'll have won.")

[smittykins]

When Ron Pallilo(Horshack, Welcome Back, Kotter) passed, there was a simple mention of his male partner, which impressed me--well, that and the fact that they'd been together for 41 years.

[ChasFink]

Originally Posted by E. Q. Taft

I admit to being a little startled in later years when I found out that Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Riley were gay --

Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly were gay?

[DadOf3]

Not to deflect the topic from Jim Nabors but I saw a one-man show called the Life of Riley in which Charles Nelson Riley discussed his life and career. When he first auditioned at a TV studio (I forget which one) a high-up executive called him into his office and told him, "Queers can't be on television."

He ignored the man of course, and was on "The Ghost and Mrs Muir" as a regular. This was before the game show circuit really made him a household name.

As to Jim Nabors, he always came across to me as very down-to-earth and not at all arrogant about his career. He spoke of Gomer Pyle on an "Andy Griffith Show" reunion and said something to the effect, "People ask me if I'm a good actor. I say, 'I don't know; I never played but one part.'"

Rest in peace, Mr. Nabors.

[E. Q. Taft]

As I understand it, Nabors was really more interested in singing than acting. He left Gomer Pyle to do a variety show, even though it was still getting very good ratings.