Jim Nabors, who starred as Gomer Pyle on 'The Andy Griffith Show,' dies

HONOLULU (KABC) -- Jim Nabors, who starred as Gomer Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 87.

His husband Stan Cadwallader said Nabors died peacefully at their Hawaii home early Thursday morning.

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, Cadwallader said.

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

The character of Gomer Pyle proved so popular that in 1964 CBS starred him in "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."

In addition to acting, the Alabama native also recorded more than two dozen albums with a rich, baritone voice that surprised those who were used to hearing him exclaim "Gollllll-ly!" with a Southern twang on television.

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

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In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, actor Max von Sydow poses at the International Film Festival Berlinale, in Berlin.

AP Photo/Gero Breloer, File

The Associated Press contributed to this report.