Andy Griffith - Andy Griffith Gets Tribute From Kings Of Leon, Lady Antebellum

Kings Of Leon star Nathan Followill tweeted, "Mr Andy Griffith, thanks for giving me amazing memories with my family growing up watching your show!", before urging fans to check out his favourite Griffith movie, saying, "One of my favorite TV actors of all time.I can hear him whistling the (Andy Griffith Show) theme song all the way to the pearly gates.Do yourself a favor and watch 'A Face in the Crowd'". Meanwhile Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott posted, "Heaven gained a talented man today". Perhaps the most touching tribute came from the American director and Griffith's former co-star Ron Howard, who wrote, "Andy Griffith. His pursuit of excellence and the joy he took in creating served generations and shaped my life I'm forever grateful Rip Andy". He later phoned news anchor Andrea Mitchell on her Msnbc show to share his memories of the actor, saying, "As a kid, I was unbelievably fortunate in that I was really allowed to sort of witness this collaborative, creative problem-solving process that Andy allowed. It was amazing".

Other luminaries of the stage and screen to pay tribute to Griffith included filmmaker Kevin Smith, Paramore front-woman Hayley Williams and country star CHELY WRIGHT.