Posted on 09/28/2009 5:26:30 PM PDT by Saije
TV legend and Hawaii's own Jim Nabors was honored Friday night. The actor, best known as Gomer Pyle from the TV series of the same name, will receive the American Patriot award, given by the Navy League of Honolulu.
Nabors has been in show business for nearly 50 years. He's had a successful career in acting as well as singing, and created friendships with celebrities like former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, his wife Nancy, and Carol Burnett.
Bcause of his portrayal of Gomer Pyle, he's developed a close relationship with the military, especially the Marine Corps.
"The general asked me if I would go over and say hello to the boys who just came back from Iraq and Afghanistan and I said, ‘They won't know who I am. (The general said,) No, I think they will,'" recalled Nabors. "So I walked over there and there are all these young Marines. I said hi and they said, ‘Oh my God.' I said, ‘How you guys know me?' (They said,) ‘Well you play every day in Iraq.' I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.'"
His honor, from the Navy League of Hawaii, was presented to the 79-year-old actor and singer, Friday night at the Sheraton Waikiki.
(Excerpt) Read more at khnl.com ...
Well, from what other family has shared, there was a time when they were very close friends; but it’s my understanding that they have both moved on to other interests, although still remain good friends.
Somewhere I have a purple doubloon Jim Neighbors gave me when he was King Bacchus on a New Orleans Mardi Gras float in the early 70’s.
I may be wrong but I think Nabors was very ill for a while. I seem to remember him getting a transplant.
LOL!
That's bad.
Does he still sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the 500? It's been a number of years since I've been at the race and I had a notion he has hung it up, but he was truly great, one of the long-running race-day traditions.
When he was outed, the powers that be at the 500 -- fearful of the reaction of several hundred thousand drunken race fans -- thought it best to bring in another singer.
What several hundred thousand drunken race fans actually did, however, was set up a chant, "We want Gomer." That settled that.
Who is that? That’s not Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) is it?
Who is that? That’s not Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) is it?
I honestly don’t know how he didn’t end up with AIDS too after Rock Hudson died. Not being sarcastic or anything, but I just assumed that he would have fallen victim to that disease as well.
In 1994, Nabors suffered from a near-fatal case of hepatitis B. According to Nabors, he contracted the disease while traveling in India; he shaved with a straight razor and “whacked [his] face all up”.[36] The disease caused liver failure, and Nabors was not given a hopeful prognosis; however, his friend Carol Burnett made an arrangement with the transplant division of UCLA and secured Nabors a transplant
i remember watching a commercial (when i was a kid) that promoted one of his albums, and i could not believe that was him singing... he was so goofy as Gomer and that’s how i knew him... i had no idea he could sing like that! i also liked him on one of my all-time favorite shows, The Carol Burnett Show...
In actuality, yes, he got a liver transplant after contracting Hepatitis B. He really WAS very sick for a while before the transplant. He did almost die.
Yes, he still sings “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the Indy 500. He did this year, as a matter of fact. I honestly believe nobody does that song better than he.
If there’s anything good to say about him, it’s that he hasn’t flouted his lifestyle. He’s remained quiet, living his life in Hawaii, mostly out of the public eye.
Yes, but I mean AIDS. Of course he may have gotten HIV and that caused the Hep B.
So did I.
Yes, but I mean AIDS. Of course he may have gotten HIV and that caused the Hep B.
Good music is good music, no matter who performs it. One of my favorite all time rock bands is Queen.
The first time I heard him sing ( I believe it was on the original Andy Griffith Show ) I thought they were dubbing someone else's voice, it was such a jarring contrast to his stage persona.
He sure had a fine voice.
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