I was sad to read last night that our beloved Don Knotts has died. He was 81 years old. He passed away Friday night from pulmonary and respiratory complications. Knotts' longtime friend Andy Griffith was at his bedside when he died. "Don was a small man, but everything else about him was large: his mind, his expressions," Griffith told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Don was special. There's nobody like him. I loved him very much," Griffith added. "We had a long and wonderful life together."
Don Knotts will be forever known for playing Deputy Barney Fife on the still-popular "Andy Griffith Show." He won an astounding five Emmy awards for his portrayal of Barney Fife, probably the most popular character on the show. The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes still appear in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.
As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. He was constantly fumbling with his one bullet, often dropping it while trying to load his gun. How can we ever forget one of Barney's classic lines "Nip it, nip it in the bud"?
Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way. We'll always remember him that way, too. Knotts said his favorite episodes, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bee makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing. One of my favorite Barney episodes is "Mountain Wedding", where Barney dresses up in a white lace wedding gown in an attempt to fool Enest T. Bass.
You'll be missed, Don Knotts. But as long as we're able to watch you with Andy, your memory will live on.
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