Nashville, TN. — George Lindsey, who for more than 30 years played the iconic Goober Pyle on the”The Andy Griffith Show” and “Hee Haw,” has died after a brief illness at 83 Fox News is reporting.

Lindsey was the beanie-wearing Goober on “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1964 to 1968 and its successor, “Mayberry RFD,” from 1968 to 1971. He played the same role of a, service station attendant, on “Hee Haw” from 1971 until it was cancelled in 1993.

In 1983 Lindsey gave an interview where he said,

“America has grown up with me. Goober is every man; everyone finds something to like about ol’ Goober. At that time, we were the best acting ensemble on TV. The scripts were terrific. Andy is the best script constructionist I’ve ever been involved with. And you have to lift your acting level up to his; he’s awfully good.”There’s a residual effect of knowing I’ve made America laugh. I’m not the only one, but I’ve contributed something.”

His other TV credits included roles on “MASH” “The Wonderful World of Disney,” “CHIPs,” “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” “The Real McCoys,” “Rifleman,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” “Twilight Zone” and “Love American Style.”

His movie credits included “Cannonball Run II” and “Take This Job and Shove It.” He also did characters for the Disney movies including “The Aristocats,” “The Rescuers” and “Robin Hood.”

Lindsey said of his fame,

“There’s no place in the United States I can go that they don’t know me. They may not know me, but they know the character,”

Lindsey spent a great deal of time raising money for the mentally disabled and the special Olympics.