For a man who became an icon across multiple entertainment mediums, it’s a day of fond remembrance with today’s news of the passing of Andy Griffith at the age of 86. Perhaps best known for his iconic and enduringly popular The Andy Griffith Show and later for his long-running TV series Matlock, Andy was acclaimed not only for his television work, but also as a humorist, a musician and GRAMMY®-winning singer, and as a Broadway and motion picture actor, starring in such classic films as No Time for Sergeants and A Face in the Crowd.

A Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree in 2005, Andy Griffith was also Brad Paisley‘s first choice to appear in Brad’s music video for “Waitin’ on a Woman,” and the video won them the 2008 CMA Award for Music Video of the Year.

On the news of Andy’s passing today, Brad offered the following statement:
“Few people in this world will ever have more influence on our lives than Andy Griffith. An actor who never looked like he was acting, a moral compass who saved as many souls as most preachers, and an entertainer who put smiles on more faces than almost anyone; this was as successful a life as is pretty much possible. Andy Griffith made the world a better place, and I was so proud to call him a friend.”

• Brad also took to Twitter today to celebrate his friend, with one tweet containing a photo of Brad and Andy, with Brad declaring their time together as “One of the highlights of my life.”
• In 2008, Brad talked about the impact that Andy and The Andy Griffith Show have had on his life, and we share that bite from the Prep Site archives with you again today. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Fans who’d like to revisit Andy and Brad’s video for “Waitin’ on a Woman” can find it on this page on VEVO.

  In 2008, Brad Paisley talked about Andy Griffith, explaining that Andy was more than just the perfect choice to star with him in Brad’s “Waitin’ on a Woman” video — he was also an important part of Brad’s life. (:40)
“He has influenced my life more than most people that I grew up with — and more than most people that I actually knew my whole life. I mean, his TV show, The Andy Griffith Show, was for me, just, without a doubt, one of the most influential things I have ever had in my life. I mean, it…it’s a big deal to me. I watch it. When I wrote an introductory letter to him, one of the things I said was that he’s helping to raise my son…and that’s a big deal. He really is. I mean, I think you could do far worse than to use The Andy Griffith Show as a guide for what, you know, the way to handle the issues that come up with your little boy.”