Profile: Jim Nabors - Actor, Singer, Comedian, Transplant Survivor, American Icon

Who is Jim Nabors and How Did Carol Burnett Save Jim Nabors' Life?

Who Is Jim Nabors?

Actor Jim Nabors, best known today for his annual performance at the Indianapolis 500, first made his mark on American pop culture with his deep-fried drawl in the 1960s playing Mayberry mechanic, Gomer Pyle. Actor George Lindsey had been slated to appear on "The Andy Griffith Show"as Gomer Pyle, but a friend invited Andy Griffth to check out Jim Nabors' nightclub act, and after Griffith saw Nabors perform, George Lindsey had to wait until Jim Nabors became "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C" to get his turn to portray Gomer's cousin, Goober Pyle.

Jim Nabors - Television

Nabors' first break was joining the cast of "The Steve Allen Show," but that show was canceled soon after Jim Nabors was hired. However, Jim Nabors was soon a star, first on "The Andy Griffith Show" and then on his own sitcom "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." where he occasionally sang as well as acting. This led to a series of variety shows after "Gomer Pyle." Nabors also was a guest on every season premiere of "The Carol Burnett Show" because Burnett considered Jim Nabors a "good-luck charm."

Jim Nabors - Movies

In the 1980s Burt Reynolds talked Jim Nabors into appearing in three feature-length films with Reynolds: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983), and Cannonball Run II (1984). In 1986, the television movie Return to Mayberry was made for NBC (although "The Andy Griffith Show" originally aired on CBS). Most of the cast of The Andy Griffith Show reunited, including Jim Nabors and George Lindsey, and cousins Gomer and Goober Pyle finally operated Mayberry's service station together.

Jim Nabors - Hepatitis

Jim Nabors has continued performing since then, going into semi-retirement a couple of times, but always returning to the stage. One of his retirement periods was after he suffered from a near-fatal case of hepatitis C in 1994. However, Carol Burnett was determined to save her "good-luck charm," and she made made an arrangement with the transplant division of UCLA, and Jim Nabors received a liver transplant.

Jim Nabors - Honors