MEET THE CAST
David L. Browning
"The Mayberry Deputy"
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David Browning is a professional actor, impersonator, improvisational master, and speaker from Bistol, Virginia and is best known across the country as "The Mayberry Deputy,” Starting in 1988, a friend of Browning hired The Dillards, known to fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” as the “Darling Boys”, to play bluegrass music in Bristol, Tennessee. Browning, who started out in community theatre, put together a “Barney Fife” type act based on Don Knott's famous character on The Andy Griffith Show.
"I called it "The Mayberry Deputy" because I have such a deep respect for Don Knotts," Browning said. (insert quote from film).
Browning has performed as The Mayberry Deputy for over 30 years in 35 states. People are entertained and enlightened by the Mayberry Deputy character because it reminds them of a time gone by.
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“We live in a world where people are searching for their own Mayberry,” Browning says. “I value this character for what it gives people today….a laugh, a lift and memories.”
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For More Information About David L. Browning "The Mayberry Deputy"
please visit: DavidBrowningProductions.com
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“The Mayberry Deputy/David Browning is
A BRIDGE between
The Andy Griffith Show and today.”
Don Knotts, Actor & “Barney Fife
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(For 25 years, Allan has also been the webmaster for the iMayberry.com website for The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club. Allan also writes/hosts/produces/publishes Two Chairs No Waiting
(a weekly audio podcast and YouTube video production about TAGS – http://TwoChairsNoWaiting.com) and The Mayberry Bible Study Podcast(http://MayberryBibleStudyPodcast.com).
For more information, visit: http://www.MayberryBarber.com)
Kenneth Junkin
"Otis Campbell"
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Kenneth Junkin from Gordo, Alabama has been portraying a sober Otis Campbell for over 20 years. Kenneth has performed at Opryland Hotel,Mayberry Days,George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, Carnival Cruise Lines. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Pigeon Forge. He has also performed at many festivals and events over a large portion of the country.
Kenneth has worked with such stars as Don Knotts,George Lindsey,Betty Lynn,Ronnie Schell,Jackie Joseph,Ernest Borgnine, Donna Douglas,Lee Majors and the Dillards and has produced a number of musical and variety shows at several locations. Kenneth says he has been blessed to travel and perform with the Mayberry Tribute Artist. He also says the tribute artists are some of his best friends!
Allan Newsome
"Floyd The Barber"
Early in the summer of 1994, Allan met David Browning "The Mayberry Deputy" at Mule Days held in Gordo, Alabama. “David said he liked the character of Floyd. I started quoting Floyd’s dialogue from The Andy Griffith Show in my ‘Floyd’ voice and he encouraged me to consider doing the character. That’s how my being ‘Floyd’ began.”
Allan’s first public appearance as Floyd came in September of 1994 during Mayberry Days held in Andy Griffith’s hometown,
Mt. Airy, NC. “I never expected to do Floyd more than that one time. After my first appearance, I began to receive calls from folks asking ‘Floyd’ to come to their events.”
Allan has performed as “Floyd the Barber” for more than two decades having appeared in 17 states and a variety of venues since he began as a tribute artist in 1994.
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"My favorite part of being a Mayberry Tribute Artist is meeting so many fan's ofThe Andy Griffith show!"
Jeff Branch
"Howard Sprague"
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Just like Andy Griffith, Jeff Branch is a true North Carolinian. A resident of Oakboro, NC. Jeff Branch is a man of many hats. During the day, he teaches DARE classes for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and during his off-hours, he is one of the Andy Griffith Tribute Artists, "Howard Sprague." In addition, Branch also comes from a long line of musicians and he produces bluegrass shows.
In 2017 Branch was awarded the 2017 North Carolina D.A.R.E. Officers Association Charles Dunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
To find out more about Jeff Branch visit
Phil Fox
"Ernest T. Bass"
Phil Fox is a Charlotte, NC Native and grew up watching great shows like the Andy Griffith Show. Always mechanically inclined and working on cars in a local garage at age 14, Fox took auto mechanics in high school and joined the NC Army National Guard.
After high school he was shipped off to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for Army basic training and Field Artillery school and then entered Waterson Diesel Institute of Technology becoming a certified diesel mechanic. Working several years on tractor trailers Phil transitioned into the heating and air-conditioning trade and in 1989 started Fox Heating & Air.
In 1986 Fox started acting in film and television. While taking acting lessons in 2001 he was asked if he could put together a Barney Fife character as an opening act for folk singer Leon Redbone for a date in Charlotte. That was the at set off a his Mayberry journey. Phil spent the summer of 2001 portraying Barney Fife around Seveirville, Tennessee where Fox was asked by former game show host Bob Eubanks to open for Jim Nabors at the Governors Palace slatted for Oct 13, 2001. While in Seveirville, Phil broke out in the voice Ernest T. Bass which became his signature character.
In the 17 yrs Phil has “impostornated” Ernestt T Bass and has entertained tens of thousands of fans around the United States and on some Carnival cruise ships.
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Phil was fortunate to become friends with master comedic actor and director Howard Morris who created the character for the Andy Griffith Show.
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Ronnie Schell from Gomer Pyle USMC was quoted as saying “I’ve seen a ton of Gomer look alike, but none like this guy, he’s the best I have ever seen.”
Michael Oliver
"Gomer Pyle"
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Michael grew up in a small West Virginia town much like Mayberry. An Andy Griffith Show fanatic his hobbies include fishing, playing guitar and internet technologies.
Michael stepped into his Gomer personality for the first time at Mayberry Comes to Westminster in Westminster, SC and was quickly spotted by David Browning, "The Mayberry Deputy.
David saw Michael dressed in an awful fitting deputy uniform with the gun hanging down, just like Gomer wore on the show sometimes and he looked good…. then watched him walk onto the street and saw people laughing at him and thought, I like this guy…” David saw in Michael the love for entertaining that he has and told him that he wanted to add him to the tribute artist troupe and Michael said “Really!? I was just hoping not to have gotten run out of town looking like this!” Since that day every event that the troupe does, Michael gets a phone call to do Gomer and Michael has appeared in several states in theaters, festivals, charity events and even aboard a Carnival cruise ship!
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Christie Mclendon
"AndyLina"
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Christie first began doing the character of Andylina-Charlene Darling's daughter after a chance encounter on the annual 'Cruise to Mayberry" in 2009. Since that time she has been performing with the other tribute artists at shows across the south. Christie performs as AndyLina, Skippy one of the fun girls and Lydia Crosswaith in various sketches. She is also very active in community theater doing many musical productions such as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Nellie in South Pacific. She also sings in a ladies gospel trio "One Voice". She has been married to husband Mike for 28 years and they have two children.
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Keith Brown
"Col. Harvey"
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Keith Brown, a retired educator, having been a school administrator /Principal for 21 of his 39 years. In his last 4 years as a Principal, his students scored above the State and National averages for both the SAT and the ACT standardized college prep tests. His school was named a Palmetto Showcase School, a SC Red Carpet School, won Palmetto Gold Awards for academics four years in a rows, was the SC Student Council of the Year 4 years in a row, was named an International Baccalaureate School, and in 2008 was named the top High School in SC, by winning the coveted Palmetto’s Finest Award.
Keith has been a fan of Mayberry as far back as he can remember. He’s been doing local gigs in character as both Andy Taylor and Briscoe Darling as far back as 1998. He played the Andy Griffith part of Will Stockdale in the local production of “No Time for Sergeants” in 2002. He’s been working as the Tribute Artist of Col. Harvey since 2009...and has appeared at local events, and then began traveling with the Tribute Artist group headlined by David Browning at the “Mayberry Comes to Westminster” festival, at “Mayberry Nights in Troy” shows, at the “Mayberry in the Midwest” festival, and at “Mayberry Days” in Mount Airy, NC.
He has been married to Angela English Brown since 1980, has two adult children, both married, and one granddaughter! Other than his family, he enjoys working as an Educational Consultant and an Instructional Technology Coach. His hobbies are sports, technology, and collecting Mayberry memorabilia for his Mayberry Room at home in Pawleys Island, SC.
Eli Austin
"Opie Taylor"
Tribute Artist Eli Austin was born on October 28, 2010 in Charleston SC. Eli became part of the Mayberry family after he won an Opie look-a-like contest in Westminster, SC when he was only 4 years old. His striking resemblance and natural likeness to Opie has won the hearts of many.
Eli lives in Ridgeville, SC and is currently a first grader at Cane Bay Elementary. He enjoys playing with his big sister Avery
and his friends at school, riding his dirt bike and four-wheeler, playing baseball and yes, like Opie Taylor, he loves to fish! When he grows up he wants to be both a mechanic and actor.
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Michelle Bryson & Dixie Griffith
"The Fun Girls Daphne & Skippy"
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Michelle (aka Daphne) Bryson and I met at the Golf Tournament in
Mt. Airy in 2015, and again in Danville, IN the following May at Mayberry in the Midwest. She coerced me and convinced me (very kindly) into being "Skippy" to her Daphne the upcoming September for Mayberry Days.
I deeply enjoy participating in the Mayberry events I've been invited to, and hope there will be many more to come. Being a part of the Mayberry Family has brought me a tremendous amount of joy. My father's memory is always closer.
- Dixie "Skippy" Griffith
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In 2015, I was asked by Pat Coleman if I'd like to portray "Daphne, one of the Fun Girls from Mount Pilot" for the parade at Mayberry Days. I was thrilled and always thought I could pull off her character. I happily worked the parade route, complete with blond wig, red lipstick, lots of make-up, and kisses galore! It was the most fun I'd ever had at Mayberry Days in 18 years of attending.
In May, 2016, I was having dinner in the Mayberry Cafe the day before "Mayberry in the Midwest" festivities were to begin. I was with Bob (Briscoe) and Pat Mundy, David Browning, Maggie Peterson, and Dixie Griffith. I had met Dixie once before in Mount Airy, but didn't know her at all. After talking to her about how glad we were to have her at the festival, I told her I was playing the "Daphne" character and desperately needed a "Skippy." I thought she would be perfect for the role. She didn't really know who "Skippy" was, but said she'd think about it. We exchanged
contact information and after much prodding and cajoling, she agreed to be "Skippy" to my "Daphne" at the September, 2016 Mayberry Days event in Mount Airy. We had more fun than should be legal planting kisses on unsuspecting men over two full days and all over town. We agreed she is perfect for the part.
We have become best friends. She not only is the daughter of Andy, but is the best friend to "Daphne" and Michelle. She has been warmly welcomed to the Mayberry family by everyone who loves the show and is a vital part of bringing fun and laughter to the fans.
In 2018, the Fun Girls will attend "Eagles Wings" in Tuscaloosa, AL in
April, "Mayberry in the Midwest" in May, The "DARE" event in Troy, NC in August, "Mayberry Days" in Mount Airy, NC in September, and sail on the "Mayberry Cruise", with Dixie as the special guest, in November.
We tell people we're fun, not cheap! And we sure do have fun!!!!!!
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-Michelle "Daphne" Bryson