00:02Jim Neighbors' journey from a small Alabama town to national stardom feels almost like a fable.
00:13Born James Thurston Neighbors in 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama, he grew up shy and asthmatic, a boy who loved to sing but never imagined himself on television screens across America.
00:24After college he moved to New York, then Los Angeles, working odd jobs and occasionally singing in clubs.
00:32It was in a Hollywood nightclub where fate stepped in, his rich, operatic baritone caught the ear of a TV producer who invited him to audition for The Andy Griffith Show.
00:42In 1962 Neighbors debuted as Gomer Pyle, the wide-eyed, good-natured gas station attendant whose innocent catchphrases, Shazam, and Golly, won over audiences instantly.
00:52Gomer became so beloved that just two years later he headlined his own spin-off, Gomer Pyle, USMC, where the gentle country boy joined the Marines and hilariously baffled his hard-nosed sergeant.
01:05The show ran five successful seasons and made Neighbors a household name.
01:10Yet the biggest surprise came when viewers heard him sing.
01:14Off-screen he possessed a warm, operatic voice perfectly suited to gospel, pop standards, and romantic ballads.
01:20He recorded dozens of albums, earning gold records and performing in concerts around the world.
01:28Each May, his booming rendition of Back Home Again in Indiana at the Indianapolis 500 became a beloved tradition, one he kept for more than 30 years.
01:37Away from the spotlight, Neighbors was known for his graciousness and quiet private life.
01:42He eventually settled in Hawaii, where he cultivated macadamia trees and entertained friends with the same easy charm he'd shown on screen.
01:52In 2013, after decades together, he married his longtime partner Stan Cadwallader, a moment he described as simply making it official.
02:01Jim Neighbors passed away peacefully in 2017 at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of laughter, music, and kindness.
02:09From a small-town boy to an American television icon with a voice that could fill a cathedral, his life was a gentle reminder that true talent and warmth never go out of style.
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