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The eBullet
An Online Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Volume 12, Issue 3
June/July 2012
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Welcome to our third regular issue of The eBullet for 2012! This issue was originally scheduled for May, but with the sad deaths of George Lindsey and Doug Dillard that month, we postponed this regular issue and published a Special Edition eBullet for both George and Doug. Subscribers should have received those by e-mail in May and early June. They’re also in our eBullet Archives online.
Here are some upcoming happenings in Mayberry that folks have thumbtacked to Floyd’s bulletin board:
“Chef” curator Emmett Forrest in the new food exhibit at the Andy Griffith Museum. Photo by Hobart Jones.
The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring Emmett Forrest’s amazing collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, is open daily in Mount Airy, N.C. For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org/ or call (336) 786-1604.
* June 23: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free but bring something to sit on (or else some Miracle Salve for the next day).
“Speed, speed, speed!”
* June 30: POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING 2013. The 12th Annual Mayberry Squad Car Nationals is relocating to Pelham, Ala. Officials with MASCAR (Mayberry Authentic Squad Cars and Racing) apparently received pressure from a worried NASCAR that Talladega Superspeedway felt threatened by the new closer location of the prestigious Mayberry Squad Car Nationals and therefore pleaded for more time to brace for the competition from the vintage patrol car crowd-pleasers. At least that’s the rumor we’re trying to get started (just like Joel Laird’s squad car). Stay tuned for details about exactly when and where the Nationals will roar next spring.
Dean Webb (on mandolin) and Missouri Boatride
* June 30: David Browning swoops in for the Independence Day Celebration in Byrdstown, Tenn. (Winken will tell Blinken, Blinken will tell Nod, Nod will tell… .)
* July 7: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. The music is free, but bring your lawn chair.
* July 13: David Browning spins yarns at the Bristol (Va.) White Sox game.
* July 11-14: Julie Adams appears at the Western Film Fair in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Nancy Stafford of “Matlock” is also among the stars with an Andy Griffith connection attending.) For more info, visit http://westernfilmfair.tripod.com.
* July 14: Neal Brower gives the latest lecture in his series about “The Andy Griffith Show” at 2 p.m. at the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, N.C. This month’s lecture is about the episode “Mr. McBeevee.” Ask Neal if he can make smoke come out of his ears. (Actually, asking the question might make it happen!) The lecture will be held in the lower level of the museum. Please call (336) 786-7998 for info about reservations for large groups. Reservations for small groups or individuals are not required. Admission to the lecture is $10 per person and includes the Andy Griffith Museum, Siamese Twins Exhibit, and Old-Time Music Heritage Hall at the Earle Theatre.
Hail to thee, Miss Mayberry! Photo by Hobart Jones.
* July 20: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10).
* July 21: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. Got time to breathe, got time to music.
* July 25-29: Ronnie Schell performs at The Improv at Harvey’s in Lake Tahoe.
* July 28: Premiere (black tie optional) of Return of the Killer Shrews, featuring James Best, David Browning, and other cast and crew (including Rick Hurst, Jennifer Lyons, Jason Scott and maybe John Schneider), in Bristol, Tenn. Tickets are $100 for benefit of Speedway Children’s Charities. For tickets and details, visit: https://www.xorbia.com/e/foundation/returnofthekillershrews. It’s sure to be a Shrew-reel experience!
* Aug. 2: You’ll be doubled-over with laughter with David Browning at the Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins game.
* Aug. 4: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. Got time to breathe, got time to music.
* Aug. 5: Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band and David Browning celebrate Mayberry Sunday at 8 p.m. at Fountain of Life Bible Church in Johnson City, Tenn. Admission is free. For more info, call (423) 282-0655.
* Aug. 10: David Browning has his citation book ready for the Appalachian Antique Auto Club of American Downtown Hot Bristol Night Cruise-In in Bristol, Tenn./Va.
* Aug. 11: Neal Brower gives the latest lecture in his series about “The Andy Griffith Show” at 2 p.m. at the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, N.C. This month’s lecture is about “Prisoner of Love,” a jewel of an episode that can steal hearts. The lecture will be held in the lower level of the museum. Please call (336) 786-7998 for info about reservations for large groups. Reservations for small groups or individuals are not required. Admission to the lecture is $10 per person and includes the Andy Griffith Museum, Siamese Twins Exhibit, and Old-Time Music Heritage Hall at the Earle Theatre.
* Aug. 11 and 12: James Best is joined by fellow “Dukes of Hazzard” stars and David Browning at the Hazzard Homecoming in Sperryville, Va. For tickets and info visit http://www.cootersplace.com/hazzard-homecoming/.
* Aug. 17: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8×10 photos available ($10).
* Aug. 18: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride–See and ditto Aug. 4.
* Aug. 18: We’ll be darned! David Browning is at the Salem (Va.) Red Sox game.
Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band. Photo by Tim White.
* Aug. 24 and 25: Rodney Dillard and Maggie Peterson are joined by several of the Mayberry tribute artists (including David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning, Allan “Floyd” Newsome and Jeff “Howard” Branch) for a Cruise-In on Fri. and then concert benefiting the Montgomery County DARE program on Sat. The evening concert will be at the James H. Garner Center in Troy, N.C. Tickets are $20 for reserved seats and $15 for general admission. Tickets for children 6 years-12 years old are $10. For more info, call Jeff Branch at (704) 985-6987, e-mail jbranch205@windstream.net, or visit www.bluegrassintroy.com/.
* Sept. 1: “Surprise, surprise, I can see it in your eyes.” Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. The music is still free, but bring your chair, blanket, cushion, bench, or tree stump to sit on.
* Sept. 5: It’s a big 10-4 that David “Mayberry Deputy”Browning, Allan “Floyd” Newsome, and Kenneth “Otis” Junkin will be to the rescue for the 911 Festival Celebration in Haleyville, Ala.
* Sept. 7 and 8: David Browning tows the line at Tom Johnson Camping Center’s Fall Barbecue in Marion, N.C.
* Sept 15: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride wrap up their 2012 Kimberling City Summer Bluegrass Concert Series at Kimberling City Shopping Mall, outside of Hillbilly Bowl, from 7 to 9 p.m. Got time to breathe, got time to music.
* Sept. 27-30: 23rd Annual Mayberry Days in Mount Airy, N.C. 
Stars confirmed so far are Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), Dean Webb (mandolin-playing Darlings boy), Maggie Peterson (Charlene Darling Wash), James Best (Jim Lindsey) for Thurs. and Fri. only, Jackie Joseph (Romeena), LeRoy McNees (of the Country Boys), George Spence (Frank the Fiancé), Karen Knotts (daughter of Don Knotts) and George Lindsey Jr. (son of, well, obviously).
With the sad passing on May 16 of Doug Dillard, the only performer to participate in all 22 previous Mayberry Days festivals, there’s a huge hole in the heart of the festival. Doug and his memory will be honored at this year’s festival. Further details and more stars TBA. Tickets are now available to order for several parts of the festival. (And it’s already not too early to book a hotel room.) For updates, visit www.mayberrydays.org. It’s big!!!
* Sept. 29: James Best zooms from Mount Airy to be at an event with Henderson Auctions on Hwy 190 West of Livingston, La., from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (If you can’t find it, the gators might find you.)
* Oct. 1: James Best is featured at an All-Star Concert at the Marriott Baton Rouge Hotel in Baton Rouge, La., with country stars Clay Walker and Tracy Lawrence. Sonny Shroyer from “The Dukes of Hazzard” will also appear.
* Oct. 3: 52nd Anniversary of the airing of the first episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” on CBS. Just think…on this here day in 1960…Shazam!
* Oct. 6: A Mayberry Afternoon in Salisbury, N.C., featuring Mayberry music and Mayberry tribute artists, including David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning, Allan “Floyd” Newsome, Jeff “Howard” Branch, Tim “Goober” Pettigrew and Phil “Ernest T.” Fox. Details TBA.
* Oct. 12-14: Darlings boy Dean Webb and his Missouri Boatride band perform at the Wooley Creek Bluegrass Festival in Cape Fair, Mo.
* Oct. 29-Nov. 3: Halloween Cruise to Mayberry 7. Five Days aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Destiny, leaving from Miami with ports of call in Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk, plus a fun day at sea. Seven Mayberry tribute artists, an Elvis tribute artist, and the VW Boys are among the entertainment provided exclusive to Mayberry Cruise participants. For more info, visit the All About Cruises website at www.allaboutcruisesnc.net/.
* Nov. 30: Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band perform at 7 p.m. at Grace Fellowship Church in West Palm Beach, Fla. David Browning also appears. Tickets are $12. For more info, call (561) 333-4222, Ext. 232.
2013
* Feb. 9: Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band perform at the Historic Jonesborough Bluegrass Series at 7 p.m. at the Historic Jonesborough Visitor Center Auditorium. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 12. For more info, visit http://www.jonesboroughbluegrass.com/.
**** News of Cast & Crew ****
NANCY © 2012 Gilchrist. Reprinted by permission of Universal Uclick for UFS. All rights reserved.
Andy Griffith is doing fine at his coastal home in North Carolina.
Jim Nabors is recovering well from heart surgery in Hawaii on May 29. Unable to be at the Indy 500 in person to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana,” Jim made a recording that was played on the PA before the race. Here’s a link to a May interview with Jim.
Here’s a photo Ron recently tweeted while working on Rush. He said he likes to sit on this apple crate while editing.
Ron Howard has completed principal filming in England for the Formula 1 racing movie Rush, his latest film as director. Ron is fun to follow on Twitter (@RealRonHoward), and he has tweeted a lot during the production of Rush.
Ron also is partnering with Canon USA for a second year in a photo contest. The theme of this year’s contest is Long Live Imagination. Learn more about Project Imagin8ion at YouTube.com/Imagination.
The TV production arm of Ron’s Imagine Entertainment is involved in the summer reality show “The Great Escape” for TNT. And it’s producing “How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life” for ABC this fall, as well as another season of “Parenthood” for NBC.
Clint Howard has several acting projects in various stages of production. Keep an eye out for his diabolical Amdro Ant Block commercial. (If you don’t catch it on TV, it’s on YouTube.)
Rance Howard plays a train engineer in The Lone Ranger, now filming. And he was in an April “Grey’s Anatomy” episode. He and Clint also recently filmed an episode of Showtime’s “Huff.”
Betty Lynn continues to greet fans monthly at the Andy Griffith Museum. She also participated in a North Carolina USO reunion and fundraiser in April.
Maggie Peterson was a guest for the Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Mo., in April. She is doing some Mayberry events this year–including April’s Mayberry Comes to Westminster (S.C.)–with TV brother Rodney Dillard, and she performs regularly at the world famous Bootlegger Bistro in Las Vegas with husband Gus Mancuso.
Dean Webb performing with Missouri Boatride. Photo by Bill Graham.
Dean Webb is featured in a nice profile by Bill Graham in the Mandolin Café blog.
James Best is in Romania this month filming Confections of a Discarded Woman, a movie written and produced by daughter Janeen and her husband, Michael Damian. James has also been painting a lot and making some “Dukes” personal appearances. And beware…his Return of the Killer Shrews is about to gnaw its way into theaters, including a special fundraiser premiere in Bristol, Tenn., on July 28. Here’s the link the Shrews Premiere website.
Amid work on her memoir, Margaret Kerry (two characters in two episodes) is speaking about her Disney experiences at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in July.
Ronnie Schell was a huge hit at the Eagles’ Wings fundraiser in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in April.
Howard Morris‘ son, David, has his www.ErnestT.com website up and rockin’ again with some new stuff.
We’re sad to report the passing of two performers who appeared on TAGS.
Andy Griffith with The Country Boys (l-r) Roland White, Eric White, Clarence White, Billy Ray Latham and LeRoy McNees.
Eric White Jr., bass player for The Country Boys in “Mayberry on Record,” Episode 19, passed away on June 7 at age 72. (That date also would’ve been the 68th birthday of his late brother and guitarist Clarence White.)
Eric left The Country Boys in 1961, right before they became more famous as The Kentucky Colonels and before Clarence went on to become the guitar-playing legend in The Byrds. Among Eric’s survivors are brother, fellow Country Boy and renowned mandolin player Roland White of Nashville.
Here’s a link to a really special home movie (about 3 minutes) of the White family playing music at a picnic in L.A.’s Griffith Park in 1958. It could’ve just as easily have been in Mayberry. The audio on the movie is a 1973 recording of the reunited White Brothers performing “The Last Thing on My Mind.” (It was recorded in Sweden, a short time before Clarence died.)
Cellmates Otis (Hal Smith) and Luke (Frank Cady).
Frank Cady, who played town drunk Will Hoople in the “Danny Meets Andy Griffith” pilot for TAGS and also Mount Pilot-based drunk Luke in “The Rehabilitation of Otis,” Episode 145, died on June 8 at his home in Wilsonville, Ore. He was 96.
Frank Cady as Sam Drucker.
Frank was best known for his work as general store owner Sam Drucker in “Petticoat Junction” and later in “Green Acres.” (He also played Sam Drucker in some episodes of “The Beverly Hillbillies” during those same years, which we think gives him the distinction of being the only actor in TV history to play the same character in three TV shows during the same production time period.)
Frank Cady is survived by a daughter, Catherine Turk; a son, Steven; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Shirley, his wife of 68 years, died in 2008. Here’s a link to his obituary in The New York Times.
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Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
The Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund has been established by friends of Doug as a means to provide financial support and also to perpetuate Doug’s music and memory. Contributions should be sent to:
Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
PO Box 90537
Nashville TN 37209
**** Chapter Update ****
We’re proud to welcome three new chapters since the last issue of The eBullet:
Old Aunt Maria’s Café Moss Point, Miss.
Mt. Pilot Judo Society Moss Point, Miss. (not a typo!)
“Where Did You Hide the Liquor, Otis?” Southport, N.C.
We now have had 1,392 chapters founded since TAGSRWC started in 1979. If you’re interested in starting a chapter of TAGSRWC, all you need to do is choose a name that hasn’t already been picked, and submit it with a list of your founding members by e-mail to Goober@imayberry.com or by U.S. mail to TAGSRWC’s HQ in Nashville. There’s a searchable list of existing chapter names at www.tagsrwc.com.
Once you successfully choose a name that’s all yours and nobody else’s, you’ll receive your Official Chapter Charter, fancily inscribed (and “suitable for framing” by Sherry Hyatt, one of our Compelsion Nuts chapter in East Tennessee.
What you do as a chapter is entirely up to you. Your group can do as much or as little as you like. The idea is simply to have lots of Mayberry fun with whatever you do.
Or if you’re feeling more like a joiner than a starter, you can write to us about how to contact a chapter near you. Our mailing address is TAGSRWC, 9 Music Square South, PMB 146, Nashville TN 37203-3211. Our e-mail address is Goober@iMayberry.com.
And you can join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter. (It’s really quick and easy to do. Info is at tagsrwc.com.)
Any which way, we hope you can enjoy the fun of being part of a TAGSRWC chapter!
**** Mayberry on the Web ****
New iMayberry Community
We’re really excited about the launch this year of a wonderful Web activity hosted by TAGSRWC and organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome. It’s called iMayberry Community. You can check it out and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com/.
The hope is that the iMayberry Community will complement our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook page, online newsletters (such as The eBullet!), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms. Combined with TAGSRWC chapters and the various Mayberry events for all fans (from Mayberry Days to ocean cruises), not to mention enjoying the sites of Mount Airy year-round, the world of Mayberry fun keeps expanding.
And best of all, it’s all rooted in watching the show itself. Whether through DVDs, local stations or TV Land, loving to watch the show continues to be the energy that feeds all the other Mayberry fun and activities that we enjoy. What a wonderful thing Andy Griffith and his talented team of actors, musicians, writers and crew people created 52 years ago–for us and generations to come!
Two Chairs, No Waiting is our weekly podcast of TAGS has news, interviews and pretty much whatever happens to be going on in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by our Allan Newsome. There’s a new episode every Tuesday (and you can watch and listen live during tapings on Monday evenings). Past episodes are in an online Archives in case you want to listen to episodes you’ve missed. (There have been over 190 episodes since 2008!) Especially good recent episodes featured tributes to George Lindsey (including commentaries from George) and Doug Dillard.
There’s a lot of info and discussions that you simply won’t find anywhere else, including rare interviews (vintage and new) with cast and crew members of TAGS. If you’ve got 
sound on your computer or have an iPod or similar device, you can easily tune in or download these podcasts.
Also, check out the podcast area of our www.imayberry.com site for info about a Mayberry Bible Study Podcast, also hosted by Allan.
And there’a Brother Figure podcast to Two Chairs, No Waiting. It’s hosted by longtime TAGSRWC member Kevin Burke, who does a great job of describing and discussing individual episodes. It’s called Burke on Mayberry. Check it out.
TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook now has more than 11,000 friends! You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. There’s a variety of comments about Mayberry, and a lively stream of fans’ favorite TAGS lines. And our Facebook page is also one of the first places we post announcements and breaking news about TAGS. If you haven’t already dropped by the page, we hope you’ll check it out sometime when you have the chance. We invite you to become a TAGSRWC Facebook Friend!
**** Chapter News ****
A few of those who gathered for the “Shakedown! Shakedown!” cookout in May.
“Shakedown! Shakedown!” chapter (Laurinburg, N.C.) had a cookout in May with 25 members and guests. Members of Wally’s Front Porch (Wilson, N.C.) and from as far away as Tennessee were in attendance. Chapter leader Dewey Lamb reports that they had “‘dogs, burgers, baked beans, ‘nanner puddin’, peach cobbler, and a churn each of strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Yum!” To which we add our own “Yum!”
Those gathered played trivia and several lawn games. The consensus was that the meeting was their best get-together yet.
Some of the members of Barney chapter (Greensboro, N.C.) who recently gathered at a local restaurant for a fish dinner. (There was no word on whether anybody liked a carp or a pike.)
Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been busy not only with monthly chapter meetings and activities and attending various events, but the June edition of their nice thrice-a-year Mayberry Minutes newsletter is just out. It’s a whopping 18 pages with lots of color photos. (You may have read some of the stories and seen some of the photos before in issues of The eBullet, but there’s a lot of new stuff, too. And besides, we like Mayberry reruns!) And check out their chapter website at www.mayberrychapter.com.
Tony and Marsha Farley and “their” Mayberry Squad Car. (We know whose toy it really is!)
Here’s a link to a video and interview by the Dayton Daily News with TAGSRWC member Tony Farley of Springfield, Ohio, and his Mayberry squad car replica.
That’s all for this time.
Editor’s Note: We encourage any readers with chapter or event news and photos that they want to share with eBullet readers to e-mail reports and photos to Goober@iMayberry.com.
**** Merchandise Update ****
Along with restocking our shelves with most of our perennial favorites, we have added several brand new items, and also have new offerings of some rare vintage merchandise and memorabilia.
Here are three new officially licensed T-shirts that have come out this year. These are the newest of more than 30 T-shirt designs you can find online at Weaver’s. Get your new shirt and be assured of being Mayberry Cool all summer long!
And here’s a couple of vintage (20 years and older) licensed items that we’ve added this year.
On the left is an Ernst & Co. ceramic mug from 1990, and, on the right, is a Limited Edition print from the Mayberry Cast Reunion at Opryland in 1991. They’re in the Collectibles & Special Items section of Weaver’s.
Summer Reading
Here’s a great book at great price for summer reading. The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts is coffee-table book with great text and photos that all fans of Barney and Don Knotts will love. And we’ve got copies that are brand new and $7 off the cover price for just $20! (That’s a discount of more than 25%!) 
Got the Summer Boredom Blues?
Need something to supercharge a bored summer? Well, Weaver’s has just the cure–a nice game of Mayberry-opoly. Change from your family’s bored game to a really fun family board game!
Or say you just want to sit back watch TAGS episodes. Two great choices are the Complete Series DVD Set (if you’re really serious about having a collection of all the episodes and more) for $101 off the original list price, and the 50th Anniversary DVD Set with 17 favorite episodes, the “Danny Thomas” pilot and Return to Mayberry movie for just $22!
Find these and much more at www.weaversdepartmentstore.com, or just click on the Weaver’s button at the top of the page whenever you’re visiting www.imayberry.com.
**** Post Note ****
If you ever miss receiving an issue of The eBullet, you can always catch up by reading it in the eBullet Archives in the Newsletters section at iMayberry.com. Each issue is usually placed in the Archives within about a week or so of its being distributed to subscribers.
Between issues of The eBullet, keep up with the goings-on in Mayberry with the daily Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? (aka WBMUTBB) Digest. It’s a free subscriber list that consists entirely of comments, newsflashes, and questions and answers from subscribers. You can sign up for that list by going to the Mailing Lists link at tagsrwc.com. WBMUTBB also has its own Archives where you can follow the ongoing stream of messages.
And TAGSRWC publishes Weaver’s Newsletter in more-or-less alternate months to The eBullet. Like The eBullet, the Weaver’s Newsletter is free. Its focus is mainly on new Mayberry merchandise and collectibles and quick newsflashes. To sign up, go to: Weaver’s Newsletter Sign-Up.
TAGSRWC’s other main vehicle for Mayberry information is simply our website at www.tagsrwc.com (and its sister site www.iMayberry.com). Both sites have extensive content and links for just about everything a Mayberry fan might be looking for.
The next issue of The eBullet is scheduled for August, and the next Weaver’s Newsletter is planned for July. Till then, happy Mayberry watching!
