George Lindsey was born in
Fairfield, Alabama, to George Ross Lindsey, a butcher, and the former Alice Smith. He was raised by his grandparents in the small town of
Jasper, where he graduated from
Walker County High School in 1946. He attended
Kemper Military School in
Boonville, Missouri, and Florence State Teacher's College (Florence, Alabama) (now the
University of North Alabama), where he majored in physical education and biology. He was a quarterback on the football team, and acted in college plays. He earned a Bachelor of Science in 1952. After graduating from college, he enlisted in the
United States Air Force and was stationed at
Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. After graduating from the Wing and performing in two Broadway plays, "Wonderful Town" and "All American", he moved to Los Angeles in 1962. He appeared in several TV series, including:
Gunsmoke,
The Rifleman,
The Real McCoys,
The Twilight Zone,
Daniel Boone,
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and three episodes of
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour The claim that Lindsey was offered the role is given more credibility when Lindsey's close friend,
Ernest Borgnine, wrote in his autobiography,, "my hand to God – he turned down the part of Mr. Spock on TV's
Star Trek, the role that made Leonard Nimoy famous."
Mayberry R.F.D., and other acting work After Andy Griffith left his television show,
CBS retooled it as
Mayberry R.F.D. and Lindsey continued to play Goober Pyle until CBS cancelled the program in 1971. In 1972, Lindsey portrayed Charlie, one of a pair of highwaymen in the
Gunsmoke episode "Blind Man's Bluff", and an escaped convict, "The Dove", in an episode of
The Rifleman.
Disney used his talents in a few projects, both as comedy support in features (
Snowball Express,
Treasure of Matecumbe) and voiceovers for a few of their animated characters. Three Disney animated features that presented the voice of Lindsey were
The Aristocats (1970),
Robin Hood (1973) and
The Rescuers (1977). Lindsey appeared in the 1967
Gunsmoke episode "Mad Dog" as one of the Watson Brothers. In 1978, Lindsey was a stand-out guest star on
M*A*S*H as Roy Dupree, a wildly obnoxious, but capable Southern surgeon. In 1997 Lindsey played himself in an episode of
NewsRadio.
As Goober on Hee Haw (1972–1992) Lindsey portrayed Goober for the third and last time on the syndicated country music variety show
Hee Haw, playing a more rustic and somewhat smarter version of the character. He appeared on that show from 1972 to 1992. ==Personal life and death==