Jim Nabors, born James Thurston Nabors on June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Alabama, was a talented actor and singer. He graduated from the University of Alabama and worked as a typing clerk at the United Nations before moving to Los Angeles, California, due to his asthmatic condition. Nabors' early career involved working as a film cutter for NBC and performing in a cabaret act at "The Horn" nightclub in Santa Monica, California.
His unique blend of classical singing and country charm caught the attention of comedian Bill Dana, who invited him to audition for Steve Allen's TV variety show. Nabors went on to appear on Allen's show multiple times, and his silly singing and "down home" gimmick also caught the eye of TV star Andy Griffith, who offered him the role of Gomer Pyle on his popular sitcom.
Nabors' portrayal of the lovable and dim-witted gas station attendant Gomer Pyle became iconic, and he went on to star in his own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle: USMC, which ran for five seasons. He also found success in children's television, working with Sid and Marty Krofft and Jim Henson, and recording romantic and easy-listening albums that earned him multiple gold and platinum records.
In addition to his television and music career, Nabors was a frequent guest performer on prime-time variety and late-night shows, including "Sonny & Cher," "The Tonight Show," "The Dean Martin Show," and "The Joey Bishop Show." He also hosted his own TV variety series, The Jim Nabors Hour, and The Jim Nabors Show, and earned a Golden Globe nomination and a daytime Emmy nomination for his work.
Nabors was also a theater performer, making his debut as Harold Hill in "The Music Man" at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre, and appearing in comic support in a couple of Reynolds' films. He was seen on a limited basis in the early 1990s and retired from the public eye after a liver transplant in 1994.
In 2013, Nabors came out as gay and married his life partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, in Seattle. He passed away on November 30, 2017, at the age of 87, due to an immune disorder.
