Please tell me about Jim Nabors.

I did the DL search and came up blank. He seems so sweet but not especially talented.

Sure, he had a great voice but so do a thousand other wannabes. Who was his daddy, what was his connection?

Don't use the DL Search.

Use Google:

"Datalounge Jim Nabors" brought up DOZENS of previous (and even recent!) threads.

Thanks, R1. I googled and read through those old threads. I'm impressed with the guy. Too bad he wound up as that terrible Gomer Pyle character but he sounds like he was a good man.

Gomer WAS funny on AGS. Especially when he'd innocently drive Barney nuts.

"Citizen's arrest. Citizen's arrest."

Gomer Pyle was much loved in the 60s, OP. Plus Nabors had that gorgeous deep singing voice--it was not run of the mill at all.

I figured Jim was the Daddy.

We told this joke in elementary school:

Luanne: Gomer will you take me home?

Gomer: Gawlee!

Luanne: Gomer will you take my clothes off?

Gomer: Gawlee!

Luanne: Gomer will you stick your finger in my belly button?

Gomer Gawlee!

Luanne: Gomer, that's not my belly button!

Gomer: Surprise, surprise, surprise. That's not my finger, either.

That silly Gomer Pyle character got him an Estate in Hawaii and financial freedom for the rest of his life!

JJim Nabors was not a bad looking young man. Then of course you'd look at him and never imagine he had that rich deep and wonderful voice.

Always felt that old song "You'd Be Surprised" summed up guys like Jim Nabors. Looking at them you'd think there wasn't much to them at all; but later on......

How gossipy bitter old queens killed a friendship between Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors; that rumor about two of them getting married.

OP either you are very young, and or quite naive.

Mr. Jim Nabors was more than just "sweet", but had bona fide talent for acting (comedy), and that rich glorious voice.

Discovered by Andy Griffith while performing in California night clubs, JN first landed on the Andy Griffith show, then was spun off to his own "Gomer Pyle USMC". He was a regular on various night time television shows like Carol Burnett, had two television specials of his won, and or guest appearances for his singing alone. Jim Nabors recording career while not chart busting like Elvis or the Doors, never the less was pretty decent. He was loved and respected by many both within entertainment industry and fans.

After leaving entertainment (except for certain guest apperances) Jim Nabors set up shop at that nut plantation in Hawaii. He did well enough there and via other means to leave his husband an estate worth $25 million.

It says much about a person how they are remembered or treated after death. No one has or had a bad thing to say about Jim Nabors both within the industry or otherwise. No hordes of rent boys or men with suspect backgrounds coming out of woodwork offering lurid stories for a buck a word.

25 years ago I rented a house on Black Point on Oahu for three months. Jim’s house was directly under mine on the beach. Beautiful home, and even back then, there were cameras all around it. Almost every morning, I’d run into him walking on the beach, and chat for a minute or two. He was almost totally bald, and it took a while before I realized who he was. Very nice guy who had health issues I guess, but never showed it.

Gomer: "Goober says 'hey'"

Andy: "'Hey' to Goober"

Not sure why I liked this exchange, but I did. Every time someone tells me "hi" from someone else, I always mentally think "'Hey' to Goober".

Well OP for one thing, he’s dead.

That was adorable R11.

How could you not love Gomer Pyle? I think he did a good job of fleshing out and making that character consistent. There was a core of sweetness and sincerity that he just conveyed so well.

With a good cast of supporting actors it was quite a decent show.

My grandmother used to swear Jim was straight

[quote]Jim Nabors recording career while not chart busting like Elvis or the Doors, never the less was pretty decent.

I read somewhere that he made a ton doing gospel albums through small religious record labels who paid VERY well compared to what the mainstream record labels paid.

My grandmother used to have some of his record albums

He was politically very conservative. Lifelong republican

He would always be the guest star on the season premiers of The Carol Burnett Show.

Any Marines on this thread? I wondered why that branch of service was chosen and not the Army, Navy or Coast Guard. Were Marines proud to have him cast as one of their own? He was adorable.

R25 Yes, Carol Burnett loved him!

Gomer Pyle USMC also featured openly gay actor Roy Stuart, as Corporal Boyle.

Don't think many realize today just how big a hit Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C was, the show never placed below top ten in ratings, and for a few seasons ranked in top three.

Gomer Pyle only ended because Jim Nahors wanted to move on and pursue other things, this as luck would have it being given his own television show "The Jim Nabors Hour". So again those who think JN must have had a daddy or something because otherwise he was no talent hack should think again.

How did U.S.M.C feel about Jim Nabors/Gomer Pyle?

In September 2007 Mr. Jim Nabors was promoted to Honorary Corporal in a ceremony at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki.

"“I was surprised about the first one,” Nabors said. “Gen. [James L.] Jones asked me one day how long I had been a PFC and I told him,'Sir, I still am.'”

"Nabors was selected for promotion based on his outstanding contributions to the Marine Corps and the United States."

“Today we take pride in honoring a great American,” said Lt. Gen. John F. Goodman, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. “He truly embodies what’s best about the Marine Corps and what our Marines represent.”

"Nabors was also presented with some gifts to mark the occasion, but one stood out among the rest."

"Nabors was presented with an NCO sword, the oldest U.S. military weapon still in use today. Marine NCOs are the only NCOs authorized to carry a sword."

When I say Jim Nabors was loved, honored and respected by wide swaths of American public from all areas, it should be pretty obvious.

For pilot episode of Gomer Pyle they brought in a real U.S.M.C barber to give Jim Nabors his buzz cut.

Producer not only wanted the haircut done properly, but didn't want it to take all day. The barber brought in was a local guy who did military buzz cuts all day long.

Personally think a nice flat top cut looks good on many guys, might be a better alternative to shaving their heads entirely bald.

R22

God damn, I'd forgotten what a large and rich deep voice Jim Nabors had, thank you for that clip.

Josh Groban could do the biopic

He sucked at lip synching.

Sargent Carter was hysterical and Gomer Pyle USMC ranked either third or second for the year end ratings for four of the five years it was on. (In the third year it fell to tenth place only to rebound back up to third and finished it's final year in second place))

Televison special featuring Minnie Pearl, George Jones, the Stattler Bros and Jim Nabors.

JN sings "Just A Closer Walk With Thee"

If you go to any of the websites devoted to the studio backlots, there are some great photos of the Quanset Huts for Gomer Pyle right next to Wally's filling station from Mayberry, and the POW camp from Hogan's Heroes is right behind them.