Another Weird “Holiday”, Gomer Pyle Day – September 25 [VIDEO]

Well, Gol-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-e-e-e-!

A gas station attendant from Mayberry decides to join the Marines, and his good pal Andy Taylor decides to accompany him to boot camp on his first day of enlistment.

That was from an Andy Griffith Show episode that was actually the "pilot" for Gomer Pyle, U.S. M. C., debuting in May of 1964.

Classic Rockers should revel in the fact that September 25 was "Gomer Pyle Day".  The program's ratings were consistently in the top 10 for five seasons (1964-1969), but Gomer finally said farewell to Sgt. Carter, after Jim Nabors longed to pursue his next career move.

Unlike the success of being a typecast goof ball, Nabors next job saw him acting in a a children's show called Buford and the Galloping Ghost, and it wasn't until an episode of the Rookies in 1973, did he finally play his first serious role.

Now, while Gomer was considered a "clown", his "pipes" were the real deal, and while occasionally showcased in a comedy forum, The Jim Nabors Show, which aired in '77 and '78, invited the world to hear his masterful voice.

Later on, he appeared in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983), and Cannonball II (1984).  Currently busy with his music, Nabors today, has virtually gone into television obscurity.