h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Jim Nabors died yesterday at the age of 87. You may not know who he was. Nabors was a popular US television actor in the 1960s. He played Gomer Pyle, the endearingly goofy gas station attendant, and later member of the US Marine Corps, in 'The Andy Griffith Show/Mayberry RFD' and 'Gomer Pyle, USMC'.

Yes, Gomer is a funny name. It was intended as such. The punchline of many Nabors performances was that his down-home Alabama accent concealed his hidden talents: a surprisingly sharp mind and a glorious baritone singing voice.

Nabors was, by all accounts, an incredibly nice man. He was beloved in many quarters, from the fans of old television shows to the Marine Corps, which made him an honorary sergeant, to the crowds at the Indianapolis 500 race, where he sang 'Back Home Again in Indiana' for many years.

Nabors is survived by his husband Stan Cadwallader. The two were married in Washington State in 2013, though they'd been together for almost four decades.

One of things I didn't know about Jim Nabors - because I was out of the country at the time - was that he and comedienne Ruth Buzzi did a children's show in the 1970s with puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft. Called 'The Lost Saucer', it was a romp through space and time with two of the funniest androids you've ever seen. I was rather amazed by this, and I thought that Bluebottle in particular might get a kick out of the pilot episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwJlmdgIxyg

Fans of Gomer would immediately recognise Nabors' exclamation of 'Gol-ll-ly!' It was a trademark.

These days, a lot of US commentators are lamenting the fact that their entertainment 'heroes' are turning out to be idols with feet of clay. It might be a good idea to stop and say farewell to the ones who didn't do harm - and in fact, did some people good.

Here's Nabors singing to the military. Yes, it's hokey. Who cares? It's still kind of amazing, and somewhat subversive. And yes, that's the Marine Band. Hang around through the story bit to hear the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJlgio-UOng

My dad was a big fan of Mr Nabors. He once returned from a business trip for US Steel. For him, the highlight of the journey was that he'd flown on the same plane as Jim Nabors.

RIP Jim.

I'd not heard of Jim, so a fascinating bio, thanks!

I'm so glad he lived long enough to be able to marry Stan.

He was an amusing icon of our lives

F S

I work with someone who looks just like him!

Maybe a relation?

I didn't know he was still alive. Er, until just recently You know what I mean...

Thanks to my mom's rather eclectic record and 8-track collections, I heard Jim Nabors' singing long before his "Gol-l-ly!" either that , or it was simply a long time before I realized that they were the same Jim Nabors (To be fair, I realized when I was 6, so maybe I had some excuse?)

I didn't know about him until a while ago. I was seeking out info on a reference to him in The Simpsons ... anyways yes, he had an amazing voice. I wish I only had a tenth of that voice. We never saw the Andy Griffith show or Gomer Pyle in South Africa. Anyways R.I.P. Jim Nabors ...