Show Review: Mayberry Gang Put on a Great Show!

Oh what a great show! Fantastic music - lots of laughter - stories of old .... The James Garner Center in Troy, North Carolina, was packed with Mayberry fans on Saturday night, August 9, 2008. They came from several states to see actual stars from The Andy Griffith Show - The Darlings and Charlene. Tribute artists - Barney, Otis, Opie, Howard, Ernst T. Bass, Briscoe Darling, Goober and Ellen Brown. Floyd was out of town and couldn't make the show. (Maybe he was at a hair cutting convention!)







More than 500 people enjoyed the show. The Tribute gang came on first - with Maggie Peterson, who played Charlene on the show - doing a song early on. In real life, she performs in Las Vegas with The Cat Pack. The Darlings - Rodney and Doug - can be seen performing in Branson, Missouri.

The Darlings gave an outstanding performance and answered a host of questions from the audience. They played tunes from the show - and some others - including one from Bob Dylan.

Tribute artists David Browning (Barney), Kenneth Junkin (Otis), Jamie Sullivan (Opie), Jeff Branch (Howard), Phil Fox (Ernest T. Bass), Bob Mundy (Briscoe Darling) and Tim Pettigrew (Goober Pyle) gave outstanding performances and held the audience's attention throughout the night. Why, Aunt Bee even came!

The show ended with most everyone standing in line for autographs, photos and time to talk to their favorite characters.

Photos and videos will be posted on You Tube, Fickr and this blog. We encourage you to share your photos too.

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Mayberry Gang to Perform in Troy, North Carolina

TROY, NC – Hey Andy Griffith fans - do you remember when “The Darlings” brought “Charlene” from the mountains to Mayberry? She had the biggest eyes, brightest smile and wanted to marry “Andy.” Oh, she really liked him!

Actress Maggie Peterson, who played the role of the cute little blonde heartthrob, along with The Dillards and the Mayberry Tribute Artists will be performing in Troy on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at the James Garner Center. Showtime is 7 p.m.Mayberry Nights in Troy is a benefit to raise money for the Montgomery County Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program.

Title sponsors are First Bank and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department.Tickets are $20 for reserved seats, $15 for general admission and $6 for children ages 6-12. Food and drinks will be provided by the West Montgomery Lions Club. Autograph sessions will be held and cameras are allowed.

“Charlene” only appeared on six segments of The Andy Griffith Show, but helped stir a following that has spanned generations.The show initially was seen on television stations around the country from 1960-1966, including WFMY in Greensboro. The station never stopped running it. Local viewers can see the show on Monday-Friday at 5:30 p.m. “The show has been on the airways somewhere in the world since the first one aired. It’s never been off,” according to Peterson.The members of the Mayberry Tribute Artists are: “Otis” (Kenneth Junkin from Tuscalossa, Alabama), “Floyd” (Alan Newsom from Huntsville, Alabama), “Barney” (David Browning from Bristol, Virginia); “Opie” (Jamie Sullivan from Cowan, Tennessee); “Howard” (Jeff Branch from Oakboro, North Carolina) and “Goober” (Tim Pettigrew from Roofstown, Ohio).

Fans will see favorite skits and songs from the show. There’s no doubt that “Charlene” will sing the crowd-pleaser “Salty Dog.” Yes, there will be plenty of pickin’ and grinnin’ and laughin’.

On the show, “The Darlings” were a family who lived in mountains near Mayberry. They periodically drove into town on their old flatbed Ford truck.

Real life brothers, Rodney and Doug Dillard, who played the roles of “The Darlings.” became ground-breaking bluegrass musicians during their stint on the show. They wound up touring with The Byrds and other top acts of the 1963-1966 era.

Maggie Peterson no longer lives near the North Carolina mountains. Instead she resides in Las Vegas, with her pianist husband. She reflected upon the TV shows saying, “Andy always had every move scripted for us. Those jokes were planned. He was the consummate professional who understood how comedy was supposed to work. I really enjoyed my time on the show.”

The James Garner Center is located at 211 Burnette Street in Troy. For more information, call 910-572-1313 or 704-985-6987.