Jim Nabors (1985)

In 1985 Jim Nabors appeared at the Elitch Theatre in Jim Nabors in Concert. Don’t be fooled by the Gomer Pyle image — Jim could sing! In addition to recording numerous albums and singles, he also had several primetime TV specials and he appeared frequently on variety shows, including the Carol Burnette show.

Nabors’ Bio from the 1985 Elitch Theatre program:

JIM NABORS is an entertainer of international status whose ability to combine the charm of a modern country gentleman with the ingenuousness of a traditional country cousin has made him one of America’s most beloved personalities. Blessed with a quick wit and a rich classical baritone, Jim’s natural talents as a character actor were discovered when he portrayed Gomer Pyle in a guest appearance on The Andy Griffith Show. Gomer became a series regular and later the star of his own show, Gomer Pyle USMC. Jim later starred as the host of The Jim Nabors Hour and gave television audiences across the country the opportunity to learn what Las Vegas audiences had known for years that Jim Nabors is a sophisticated multi-talented entertainer in his own right. The son of a local police officer, Nabors was born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, where he first began singing in his high school’s glee club. A show business career was put aside when Jim entered the University of Alabama to major in business administration. Upon graduation he worked his way across the country by finding employment in a series of small businesses. At one point Jim answered telephones at the U.N. but ran into a little problem because foreign dignitaries had trouble understanding him. Nabors soon tired of the tedium of a nine-to- five routine, and he left the business world to become a film cutter for a local television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After gaining experience, he moved to Los Angeles to work at NBC in the same capacity. Jim first performed before the public at The Horn in Santa Monica, a cabaret theatre which specialized in showcasing new talent. His occasional performances became nightly appearances as he devoted increasing amounts of energy to perfecting his singing style. His act included hillbilly monologues as well as operatic arias – certainly not the most cohesive repertoire. It was at The Horn that he was first seen by Andy Griffith who invited Jim to audition for the part of a bumbling gas station attendant, Gomer Pyle. The rest, as they say, is history. In addition to Jim’s highly successful television career, he has also recorded twenty-eight albums and has garnered five gold and one platinum album. Now a permanent resident of Hawaii, with homes in Honolulu and on the island of Maui, Jim completed a successful two-year engagement at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome, where his lavish “The Jim Nabors Polynesian Extravaganza” played to capacity audiences nightly in the thousand-seat showroom. Jim has recently completed two movies in his ever changing and expanding career. He starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, and in Stroker Ace, he was Burt Reynolds’ ace mechanic and Loni Anderson’s confidant. Jim also starred in a stage production of The Music Man at The Burt Reynolds’ Dinner Theatre with Florence Henderson.

On January 15, 2013, Nabors married his partner of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, a month after same-sex marriage became legal in Washington. They had met in the 1970s, when Cadwallader was a fireman in Honolulu, and they began dating in 1975. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Nabors]

Seasons at the Theatre

1985

Elitch Theatre Productions/Roles:

1985 – Jim Nabors In Concert

Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:

Originated the role of Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show (1962–1964), later spun off into his own series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964–1969) — this became the career-defining role that made him a household name and remains one of the most recognizable characters in American television history.
Golden Globe nomination, 1970, for his CBS variety series The Jim Nabors Hour (1969–1971).
In 1973, Nabors sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game One of the Major League Baseball World Series.
1977 to 1978, Nabors hosted a variety show, The Jim Nabors Show. Though the show lasted only one season, Nabors was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series.
From 1972 to 2014, Nabors sang “Back Home Again in Indiana” with the Purdue All-American Marching Band before each Indianapolis 500 race. This became a long-running Indianapolis 500 tradition.

Elitch Theatre Connections:

I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster — “The Carpenters Four” TV episode, Jan 18, 1963 with John Astin — Nabors (billed as “James Nabors”) sang in a barbershop-style quartet alongside Astin.
Aloha Paradise — series pilot (“Alex and Annie/Honeymoon Blues/Everything Else”) Feb 25, 1981 with Debbie Reynolds — Reynolds starred as series lead Sydney Chase; Nabors guest-starred as himself. The series would later include Elitch Alum guest stars: Joan Fontaine, Van Johnson, and Jayne Meadows.
The Love Boat — S1E5 “Help! Murder!/Isaac the Groupie/Mr. Popularity” (Oct 22, 1977) and S5E7 “Farnsworth’s Fling…” (Nov 21, 1981) Gavin MacLeod was series-regular Captain Stubing.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 film) Nabors co-starred with Mary Jo Catlett — Catlett as Rita Crowell and Nabors as Deputy Fred Wilkins.
Cannonball Run II (1984) Charles Nelson Reilly co-starred — Reilly played “Don Don Canneloni” and Nabors played Pvt. Homer Lyle (a parody of Gomer Pyle). PLUS, alumni Sid Caesar as a fisherman in a rowboat!