Jim Nabors dead: Actor known for playing Gomer Pyle dies aged 87

From left to right: Andy Griffith, Jim Nabors, Don Knotts and George Lindsey, cast members in The Andy Griffith Show, at an awards show in 2004 (Reuters)

Jim Nabors, who starred as Gomer Pyle on TV's The Andy Griffith Show, has died at the age of 87.

Nabors died peacefully at his home in Hawaii, with his husband, Stan Cadwallader, at his side.

Cadwallader says Nabors' health had been declining for the past year. His immune system also was suppressed after he underwent a liver transplant about 20 years ago.

Nabors became an instant success when he joined “The Andy Griffith Show” in the early 1960s.

The character of Gomer Pyle, the unworldly, lovable gas pumper who would exclaim “Gollllll-ly!” proved so popular that in 1964 CBS starred him in “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”

Nabors' operatic voice also made him a favorite in Las Vegas and other showplaces.

Associated Press