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The eBullet
An Online Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Volume 16, Issue 1
January 2016
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Floyd’s Barbershop 

Bulletin Board & Event Calendar

 

The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring the late Emmett Forrest’s outstanding 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.

* Jan. 28: Birthday Party for Russell Hiatt at Floyd’s City Barber Shop on Main Street in Mount Airy, N.C.  Everyone is invited to come by the shop between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to help Russell, America’s Barber, celebrate 92 years, and to thank him for his “part” in spreading Mayberry smiles for generations.

* Jan. 29-30: Ronnie Schell brings his stand-up comedy act to Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif.

* Feb. 1: Darlings mandolin player Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride (his current band) perform at the Tulsa Boat Show, in Tulsa, Okla.

* Feb. 12: The Roland White Band performs at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn. at 9 p.m.  More info at www.stationinn.com.

* Feb. 14: LeRoy “Mack” McNees (one of Mayberry’s musical Country Boys in two episodes) and his new gospel bluegrass group, Gloryland, play at La Crescenta Baptist Church in La Crescenta, Calif. at 6:00 p.m.

* Feb. 16: Everybody back on the boat. Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride float into Springfield, Mo., for the Springfield Boat Show.

* Feb. 16-21: Ronnie Schell performs at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

* Feb. 19: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* Feb. 20: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform a free concert 7 p.m. at First Christian Church in Kimberling City, Mo.

* Feb. 22-27: David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning entertains on the Mountain Music Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Sea.  For more info, visit www.mountainmusiccruise.com.

* Feb. 23: Karen Knotts performs “Tied Up in Knotts” at 6 p.m. at the Sedona Film Festival in Sedona, Ariz. More info at www.sedonafilmfestival.org.

* Feb. 27: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride navigate to the St. Louis Boat Show in St. Louis, Mo.

* Mar. 3-5: 19th Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Ala.  For more info, visit www.lindseyfilmfest.com.

* Mar. 11: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the LiUNA Event Center in South St. Louis, Mo.

* Mar. 11-13: Karen Knotts does three performances of “Tied Up in Knotts” (8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday) at the Black Box Center for the Arts in Boca Raton, Fla.  Tickets are $25-$35.  For more info, visit www.bocablackbox.com.

* Mar. 12: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Falls Event Center in Columbia, Ill.

* Mar. 12: The Roland White Band performs at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn. at 9 p.m.  More info at www.stationinn.com.

* Mar. 12 and 13: Maggie Peterson and Rodney Dillard are joined by David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning in a presentation of Mayberry Moments at the Cumming Playhouse in Cumming, Ga. Show times are 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For tickets and more info, call (770)  205-4220.

* Mar. 31: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform at the Pregnancy Lifeline event in Kimberling City, Mo.

* Apr. 3 and 4: Karen Knotts performs “Tied Up in Knotts” at 8 p.m. both nights at Barleen’s Arizona Opry in Apache Junction, Ariz.  Details TBA.  For more info, visit www.azopry.com.

* Apr. 22: Karen Knotts brings “Tied Up in Knotts” to Lyman, Wyo.  Show time is 8 p.m. Further details TBA.

* Apr. 23: The Roland White Band performs at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn. at 9 p.m.  More info at www.stationinn.com.

* Apr. 25 and 26: Karen Knotts performs “Tied Up in Knotts” at 8 p.m. both days at Barleen’s Arizona Opry in Apache Junction, Ariz.  Details TBA.  For more info, visit www.azopry.com.

* May 6 and 7: 6th Annual Mayberry Comes Westminster (S.C.) festival. Karen Knotts is the special guest.  She’ll be performing two shows of her new one-woman act “Knott Knotts, Who’s There: Getting to Know the Man Behind Barney Fife.” She’ll also be the grand marshal for two parades on Saturday.  Other performers include folk musician John McCutcheon and bluegrass gospel group Trinity River Band.  David Browning and a troupe of Mayberry tribute artists will be performing throughout the weekend.

In conjunction with the festival, there will also be a “Salute to Elvis” dinner show starring Wayne Euliss on Wednesday the 4th and a Mayberry Bible Study on Thursday the 5th. A cruise-in, pageants, contests, crafts, and assorted vendors are also part of the popular festival.  For more info, visit www.mayberrywestminster.com.

* May 7: 29th Annual Uncle Jesse Big Bass Classic (founded by Denver Pyle) in Paris, Tex.  For more info, visit: www.unclejessefishing.com.

* May 14: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform a free concert at 7 p.m. at the Kimberling City Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.

* May 21 and 22: Mayberry in the Midwest festival in Danville, Ind.  Maggie Peterson (Charlene Darling) is the first announced guest star. More details TBA. For info, visit www.mayberryinthemidwest.com.

* June 2-4: Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band perform at the John Hartford Memorial Festival in Bean Blossom, Ind.  Details TBA. For more info, visit www.johnhartfordmemfest.com.

* June 11: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform a free concert at 7 p.m. at the Kimberling City Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.

* June 11: Neal Brower, author of Mayberry 101, presents a lecture on “The Big House” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum admission ($6).  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* June 17: Karen Knotts performs “Tied Up in Knotts” at the Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfield, Iowa.  Show time is 7 p.m. For info, call (641) 472-2000 or visit www.fairfieldacc.com.

* June 18: Karen Knotts brings “Tied Up in Knotts” to Madison, Wis. Details TBA.

* June 26-July 3: Ronnie Schell performs at Harvey’s Hotel & Casino in Lake Tahoe.

* July 9: Dean Webb and Missouri Boatride perform a free concert at 7 p.m. at the Kimberling City Mall in Kimberling City, Mo.

* July 9: Neal Brower presents a lecture on the “Andy’s Rich Girlfriend” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum admission ($6).  For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* July 21: Don Knotts statue dedication in Morgantown, W.V.  (The exact date is tentative.) Details TBA.

* Aug 13: Mayberry 101 author Neal Brower presents a lecture on the “Goober and the Art of Love” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C.  Admission is included with an Andy Griffith Museum admission ($6).  Visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.

* Aug. 20: Mayberry Night in Troy, N.C. , starring Maggie Peterson, the VW Boys and most of the Mayberry tribute artists in a fundraiser show for the local DARE program.  Details TBA.

 

* Aug. 20 and 21: Hal J. Smith (aka Otis Campbell) 100th Birthday Celebration in Massena, N.Y.  Hal was born in Petoskey, Mich., on Aug. 24, 1916, but called Massena home for many years. Details of the celebration are TBA.  (The event is currently tentative.) Follow updates on plans at the event’s Facebook page, or contact organizer John Michaud III by phone at (315) 769-2102 or by e-mail at massenaguy2003@yahoo.com.

* Aug. 26-31: As part of the celebration of Betty Lynn’s 90th Birthday (Aug. 29), the historic Earle Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C., will screen June Bride, the 1948 film starring Betty in the title role. Also starring Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery.  And look for Debbie Reynolds and Mayberry’s Amzie Strickland (Miss Rosemary) and Tom Tully (Walt Simpson) in smaller roles.

* Sept. 19-22: Memories From Mayberry: Timeless Truths from America’s Hometown is a Bible study event drawing on the biblical truths and life applications found in “The Andy Griffith Show.” Hosted by the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa, GA (90 miles NE of Atlanta). Early Bird price (until Mar. 15) is $300 per person (based on double occupancy). After that, the price is $325 per person.

The all-inclusive price includes three nights of on-campus lodging, eight meals, Bible study sessions based on favorite TAGS episodes, dynamic preaching, worship, and special guest star LeRoy McNees (“Mayberry on Record” and “Quiet Sam”) in concert. To register, call (706) 886-3133 or visit www.mytoccoa.com/mayberry.

* Sept. 21-25: 27th Annual Mayberry Days in Mount Airy, N.C. Stars confirmed so far include Mount Airy’s own Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), the Rodney Dillard Band, and Karen Knotts (daughter of Don Knotts), who will present two one-woman shows this year: her popular “Tied Up in Knotts” and her brand new one, “A Deputy’s Daughter.” Dorothy Best will also present “Remember Me with Laughter: A Tribute to James Best.”

 

Other performances include the comedy of James Gregory (“the funniest man in America”), The VW Boys, Michael Hoover’s Elvis, The Embers (featuring Craig Woolard), The Tams and the Malpass Brothers. Tickets are also available for The Emmett Golf Tournament, the Golf Banquet & Entertainment, Professor Brower’s Lecture/TAGSRWC Meeting, and Colonel Tim’s Talent Time.

More details and stars TBA. Much of the festival is free, but tickets for many of the activities/performances listed above that have a paid admission are now available online at www.mayberrydays.org.

* Oct. 29 -Nov. 3: Cruise to Mayberry 11 with special guest star Jackie Joseph (aka to Ernest T. Bass’s Sweet Romeena)! Join the fun (including Halloween) in the western Caribbean aboard Carnival’s Paradise cruise ship as it departs Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman (a favorite of Asa’s and Mr. Meldrim’s) and Cozumel (a fave of Daphne and Skippy and Mavis Neff).

A bunch of popular Mayberry tribute artists (and also an Elvis) will join Jackie in providing entertainment and hosting contests, along with all the hearty eatin’ and usual cruise highlights.  For more info, visit www.allaboutcruisesnc.net or call 1-800-832-7993.

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**** News of Cast & Crew ****

 

Ron Howard received his second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 10, the day before his In the Heart of the Sea opened in theaters nationwide.  Ron is the first person to receive an additional star since 1993 when Bob Hope was honored with his fourth. Ron’s first star was for his work in television, and this one recognizes his movie career.

In the Heart of the Sea has made about $90 million worldwide so far, which, while less than original industry expectations, is still far from shrimpy.

Ron continues with post-production work on Inferno, which is currently scheduled to be in theaters on October 14 and is a solid bet for box-office success.

Ron and is also set to produce (with Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer) and direct The Girl Before for Universal Studios. The movie, based on a novel by J.P. Delaney (aka Tony Strong), is such a hot property that the movie deal was made even before the novel’s planned release next fall.

And Ron and the Imagine team have also announced plans to produce “Red Planet,” a sci-fi miniseries about the colonization of Mars that’s likely to air next season.

Imagine is also producing Stephen King’s Dark Tower across several media platforms, including a feature film expected in 2017 and a TV series that might tie episodes into the movie’s storyline both before and after the movie’s release.

Clint Howard was in Nashville in December filming episodes of an upcoming TV series on CMT called “Still the King,” which stars Billy Ray Cyrus as an Elvis impersonator, or…uh…tribute artist. Clint’s character is a roadie named Crazy Dave, who Clint says is a lot of fun to play, in much the same way as his memorable Creepy Rodney was a hoot to play in a couple of episodes of NBC’s popular “My Name Is Earl” a decade ago. “Still the King” is tentatively scheduled to start airing in August. (Thanks to K.D., our “eyes on the set,” for the heads-up that Clint might be working in TAGSRWC HQ’s back yard!)

Betty Lynn, ever the Mayberry trouper, has been continuing her meet-and-greet sessions at the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, N.C., this winter.  (See Floyd’s bulletin board above for upcoming dates.)

Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band have been putting the finishing touches on a new album, which they recorded in several sessions in Nashville during the last year. The album is scheduled for release next month.

Rodney and some of his band, along with Maggie Peterson and also David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning, toured with their Mayberry Christmas show in December. Meanwhile, Rodney and his band’s new website (www.officialdillards.com) should be up and running by the time the new CD is released and the accompanying 2016 tour is set.

Dean Webb and his Missouri Boatride bluegrass band have a steady slate of performance dates this year, most around their Branson-area home base. And check Floyd’s bulletin board above for some of their strictly indoor gigs through the quieter winter off-season and for others coming up in warmer times. Keep up with the band at www.missouriboatride.com.

 

LeRoy “Mack” McNees stuck close to home in California with his Dobro and bluegrass gospel performing for most of 2015. And he has just formed a new bluegrass gospel group called Gloryland that will be based in Southern California, but may venture to other areas from time to time.  (See Floyd’s bulletin board above for their first date in February.)

Eric Norquist, son of Margaret Kerry, has been writing comedy with pal George Lindsey Jr. They’re developing a funny-sounding stand-up comedy show they’re calling “Eric & George–One-Man Show.”

Karen Knotts completed another mini-tour of her popular “Tied Up in Knotts” stage show with full houses for two shows in Texas in October. And she has several dates (primarily in Arizona so far) lined up for this winter and sprinkled throughout the year.

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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of John Berry, son of Mayberry’s Ken Berry and Jackie Joseph-Lawrence. John, 51, died on January 9 of complications of a brain tumor.  John was a talented musician and was co-founder of the indie rock band Idaho.

Jackie and Ken have expressed their deep gratitude for many kind words and acts of sympathy. Jackie says, “The outpouring of love and support has been amazing and uplifting.”

In addition to his parents, John is survived his sister, Jennifer, and stepfather David Lawrence. For anyone wishing to make memorial gift in John’s memory, the family has suggested donating to Actors & Others for Animals.

Our hearts go out to Jackie and Ken and all of their family.

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We’re also sad to note the passing of Marjorie Lord, who played Kathy Williams, wife of Danny Thomas’ Danny Williams in “Make Room for Daddy,” including the “Danny Meets Andy Griffith” episode, which was the pilot for TAGS. She died of natural causes on November 28 at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 97.

 

Marjorie was born July 26, 1918, in San Francisco to George and Lillian Wollenberg. She studied ballet and, after her family moved to New York City, made her Broadway debut as a child actor.  She later moved to Los Angeles for a successful movie career and became best known for her long-running role in “Make Room for Daddy.” She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Marjorie is survived by daughter Anne Archer (the actress), son Gregg Bowman, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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**** Chapter Update ****

Two new chapters have been founded since our last report in the November eBullet.  We now have had 1,439 chapters founded since TAGSRWC started in 1979.

“What Do You Know, Spaghetti!”	Mt. Pleasant, Penn.
Mayberry, Where the Living Is Easy and Slow	Virginia Beach, Va.

Starting a chapter of TAGSRWC is really easy to do.  Just pick a name that hasn’t already been chosen (at this point, not as easy as it might sound!) and then 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 (118 16th Avenue South, PMB 146, Nashville, TN  37203-3100).  There’s a searchable list of chapter names that are already taken at www.tagsrwc.com.

Whether or not you start or join a local chapter, you can always 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.)

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Cause for Applause!

Several recent accolades have been achieved by or bestowed upon several creative efforts related to Mayberry.

First, “The Andy Griffith Show Christmas Special,” which aired in primetime on CBS on Christmas Day, not only won its time slot, but also the entire evening in the Nielsen ratings.  And the special, which featured the novelty of newly colorized episodes of “Christmas Story” and “The Pickle Story,” finished an impressive 15th for the week going up against top current shows, such as “NFL Football,” various versions of “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

Let’s hope the great showing by the TAGS special means a new Mayberry tradition for the holidays has been started!

There was also an indirect TAGS award at this year’s Rose Parade. The South Pasadena float entry called Fishing Follies was the winner of the National Award for “best depiction of life in the United States.” Though the float did include a little red-haired boy fishing, the primary Mayberry connection was the use of Earle Hagen’s “The Andy Griffith Theme” as the float’s attention-grabbing soundtrack.

And one more tip of the hat…the upcoming Mayberry Comes to Westminster festival has been named one of the Top 20 Events for May 2016 by the Southeast Tourism Society.  While it’s not uncommon for a long-running event like Mayberry Days in Mount Airy to make the STS Top 20 for its month (September), it’s quite an accomplishment for a relatively new festival, such as Mayberry Comes to Westminster, to make the list.  This May’s edition will be the festival’s sixth year.  It drew more than 10,000 fans in 2015, and, with a little help from the weatherman, is expected to draw even bigger crowds this year.

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**** Chapter News ****

Several chapters attended various performances of the “Mayberry Christmas” show with Rodney Dillard, Maggie Peterson and David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning during its December tour. Among those making to the show in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., were “Phantom Fife Strikes Again” (Gladeville, Tenn.), “Mother Figure” (Huntsville, Ala.), “I Ain’t No Rockefeller” (Bristol, Va.), Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Andy chapter (Nashville).

Speaking of Mayberry chapter, they’ve published the latest edition of their outstanding chapter newsletter, Mayberry Minutes. It’s filled with recent chapter news (long-distance birthday party for Peggy McCay, local Christmas parade, Maggie Peterson‘s birthday celebration) and upcoming plans (birthday partries for Elizabeth MacRae, Dean Webb and Margaret Kerry, bowling and miniature golf gatherings, a summer parade, and more).

And their newsletter also covers interesting highlights from throughout the Mayberry world, including digests of News of Cast & Crew reports from The eBullet. The 16-page newsletter is filled with color photos, too…like the one below!

 

Barney’s One-Bullet Volunteers (Morristown, Tenn.) says they were pretty quiet this year, but they did manage a trip to Alaska, where, yes indeed, they enjoyed eating Baked Alaska.  (They didn’t report whether they used a fork or a spoon, but something tells us they probably tried using both!)

Mayberry Sheriff’s Department chapter (Chilton, Wis.) checked in to report that they’re humming along just fine.  They keep up on all the Mayberry happenings through our online newsletters and websites.  And they still have plans to make it to Mayberry Days one of these years, though the school calendar doesn’t favor that happening until retirement.

The venerable Schwumpsters chapter (Stephens City, Va.) wrote to tell us that all’s well with them.  They have members who are pastors at churches in the vicinity of Winchester, Va., so they’re not as able to coordinate travel to Mayberry Days and other events as much as they used to, but maybe they’ll surprise all their Mayberry friends with an appearance again one of these years!

Barney chapter (Greensboro, N.C.) continues to meet monthly, and as usual their Christmas party was the biggest meeting of the year.  Their meeting this month was to be one where everybody was going to bring a container of soup (“Ding-dong.” “I hope that’s not more soup!”), but the meeting, scheduled for last Saturday, had to be postponed because of the big snowstorm.

Snow is not a worry for “I Think I’ll Find a Cave and Hermitize Myself” (Grand Ledge, Mich.)  By this time of year, they’re usually hunkered down until well after Groundhog Day.  But they did write to say that they’re having a nice Mayberry winter.

If your chapter has news or photos to share, you can write to us the old-fashioned way at TAGSRWC HQ, 118 16th Avenue South, PMB 146, Nashville TN  37203-3100, or by e-mail to Goober@imayberry.com. We always love hearing what everybody’s up to.  Meanwhile, keep watching TAGS episodes and finding fun ways to enjoy Mayberry!

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**** Mayberry on the Web ****

The iMayberry Community

This TAGSRWC online group is organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome with able assistance from Keith “Col. Harvey” Brown. You can check it out and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com.

The iMayberry Community complements 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.

Two Chairs, No Waiting is our weekly podcast of TAGS news, interviews and pretty much whatever happens to be going on in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by 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 or view classic installments you’ve missed. (There have been a mind-boggling 362 episodes since Allan started the podcasts in 2008.)

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.  And you’ll also find links there to a couple of other outstanding Mayberry-related podcasts.

TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook now has over 194,000 friends! You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. 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!

Even Ol’ Ben Weaver recently launched his own Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weaversdepartmentstore. Check it out for the latest Mayberry items and merchandise news.  And remember, even though Ben may be grouchy, he needs Friends, too!

   **** 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 placed in the Archives at the same time that it’s distributed to subscribers.

Between issues of The eBullet, keep up with all the happenings 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 alternate months to The eBullet. Like The eBullet, the Weaver’s Newsletter is free. Its focus is tilted a little more to Mayberry merchandise and collectibles and quick newsflashes. To sign up, go to Weaver’s Newsletter Sign-Up.

The next eBullet for is planned for March, and the first Weaver’s Newsletter for 2016 will be out in February.

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