Andy Griffith to get Medal of Freedom

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on November 4th, 2005

They try to throw in a comedian when they give out the Medals of Freedom.

Andy Griffith. The actor first achieved national acclaim in the 1950s for his standup comedy routines. He went on to star in television shows such as The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock and numerous Broadway productions and films.

Not a whole lot of folks know that Griffith was a comic early on. XM has been running some bits from his albums. A relaxed, storytelling style that is very bizarre and oddly effective. Very southern, almost to the point of being a sort of dialect comic. “The nation’s highest civil award” will be given out at the White House on Wednesday.