George Smith Lindsey (1928 - 2012)

Born 17 Dec 1928 in Fairfield, Jefferson, Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 May 2012 at age 83 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

George Lindsey is Notable.

George Lindsey was born 17 Dec 1928, in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Alabama. He was the son of George Ross and Alice (Smith) Lindsey. In 1930, he was a one-year-old child residing with his parents at 31 23rd Street in Jasper, Alabama, where his father worked as a grocery merchant.^[1]

In 1940, although his parents were still residing together in Jasper, eleven-year-old George was actually residing with his grandparents, Cam and Dora Smith in Jasper. Also residing in the home were four single aunts (ages 23-35), his grandmother's brother, and a 20-year-old farm hand.^[2]

On his eighteenth birthday, in December 1946, George registered for the World War II draft. He described himself as a freshman at Walker County College and listed his father as his next of kin.^[3]

In 1950, George was residing in the dormitory of the Florence State Teachers College (now University of North Alabama).^[4] There he played where he played quarterback on the school's football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education and physical education in 1952, after which he briefly taught high school science.^[5]

After graduating from college, George attended Kemper Military School & College in Boonville, Missouri and then enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico.

In July 1955, George married Joyanne Herbert, at Jasper.^[6] The couple had two children, daughter Camden and son George Jr. George and Joyanne would remain married 36 years before divorcing in 1991.

After his discharge from the Air Force, George, taught for a year at Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Alabama, while waiting to be accepted by the American Theater Wing in New York City in 1956. After graduating from the Wing and performing in two Broadway plays, "Wonderful Town" and "All American", he moved to Los Angeles in 1962. He got parts in TV series including Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Real McCoys, The Twilight Zone, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

In 1964, Lindsey was cast as the slow-witted but kindly "Goober Beasley" on The Andy Griffith Show. His character was later renamed "Goober Pyle" to tie him to his cousin Gomer Pyle, an equally slow-witted country boy played by Jim Nabors, also from Alabama. Goober's antics frequently included his exaggerated "Goober Dance" and his comically bad Cary Grant impression. After Griffith left his television show, CBS retooled it as Mayberry R.F.D. and Lindsey played the same character, until CBS cancelled the program in 1971. Lindsey portrayed "Goober" for a third on the syndicated country music variety show Hee Haw from 1972-92.

As Lindsey started his portrayal as Goober, he also had a minor role in the Walter Brennan series The Tycoon on ABC. Lindsey played a sailor in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver, the sequel to Mister Roberts. Disney also used his talents in a few projects, both as comedy support in features (Snowball Express) and voiceovers for animated features including The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977).

In 1978, Lindsey guest starred on M*A*S*H as Roy Dupree, a Southern surgeon. In 1997 Lindsey played himself in an episode of NewsRadio. His last guest appearance was on Larry the Cable Guy's Hula Palooza Christmas Luau in 2009.

Through 17 years of the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama, Lindsey raised over $1 million for Alabama Special Olympics and another $50,000 for the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens. He also participated as Head Coach-Winter Games in the Minneapolis, Minnesota Special Olympics National Competition. He established and perpetuated the George Lindsey Academic Scholarships at University of North Alabama. In 1992, the university gave him an honorary doctorate. Lindsey was the 1995 recipient of the Governor's Achievement Award — Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The State of Alabama named the "George Lindsey Highway" in Jasper, Alabama after him. He was the 1997 recipient of the Minnie Pearl Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998, he established the George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival that takes place at the University of North Alabama annually in the spring. In 2007, he was the recipient of the first ICON Award presented by the Nashville Associations of Talent Directors.

Lindsey died 6 May 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee following a brief unspecified illness. He was 83. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Alabama, Walker County, City of Jasper, ED 2, sheet 29A, dwelling 451, family 602, household of Ross Lindsay. Available at Ancestry.com $$ [image 57].
2. ↑ 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Alabama, Walker County, City of Jasper, ED 64-1A, sheet 3A, visitation #61, household of H. Cam Smith. Available at Ancestry.com $$ [image 10].
3. ↑ U.S. World War II Draft Registrations Card, Alabama, Walker County, Local Board #1, Serial #1152, Order # 13.384, George Smith Lindsay (17 Dec 1946) Available at Ancestry.com: U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
4. ↑ 1950 U.S. Federal Census, Alabama, Lauderdale County, City of Florence, F.S.T.C. Dormitory, ED 39-33, sheet 88, dwelling 93, line 27, George S. Lindsay. Available at Ancestry.com $$.
5. ↑ The Diorama Yearbook, Florence State Teachers College, 1952, Seniors: George Smith Lindsey. Available at Ancestry.com ($$), U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900-1999.
6. ↑ Marriage Announcement, News Journal, (Mansfield, OH) 6 Feb 1955, page 11. Available at Newspapers.com $$.
7. ↑ Obituary, The Tennessean, (Nashville, TN) 9 May 2012, page 87. Available at Newspapers.com $$.

• *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lindsey
• *https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/nashville-tn/george-lindsey-5094553