meet the people who created Mayberry and their families
Mayberry Celebrity Guests
We are always honored to have those who actually created and appeared on The Andy Griffith Show and their families join us for our festival. 2026 will be no exception. You’ll have the opportunity to meet these wonderful people this year. Don’t miss your chance to spend quality time with these examples of Mayberry Royalty!
Rodney Dillard
Rodney Dillard is a founder, lead singer, composer, and the last surviving member of The Dillards, one of the most transformative musical groups to emerge from the 1960s and 70s. Hailing from Salem, Missouri, The Dillards (Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, Mitch Jayne, and Dean Webb) are known for helping to bring two music genres to mainstream America: Bluegrass (through their unforgettable appearances as “The Darlings” on “The Andy Griffith Show”) and Country Rock (through iconic albums such as “Wheatstraw Suite,” “Copperfields,” and Rodney’s in-studio and onstage genre-defying innovations).
Rodney is one of the only currently active artists to be featured in three major Halls of Fame at the same time: the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame, the Bill Monroe Hall of Fame and Bluegrass Music, and the Country Music Hall of Fame (via a special focused exhibit).
Rodney has received the Outstanding Missourian award from the State of Missouri, and he and his late brother Doug were the first inductees into the Missouri Music Hall of Fame. Rodney and The Dillards influenced major artists such as Elton John, Don Henley, John Paul Jones, Linda Ronstadt, John McEuen, Steve Martin, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Sam Bush. Their most beloved songs include “Dooley,” “Old Home Place,” and “There is a Time.” Rodney has always been “the voice” of The Dillards, and as “The Last Dillard Standing,” he has shared the famous Dillards sound through many film/television roles as well as on national tours with Elton John, Earl Scruggs, The Byrds, and Herb Pedersen. Rodney continues to perform and record new music. Don’t miss the chance to attend Rodney’s concert on Saturday and meet him after the show at Mayberry Comes to
Scottsburg
Keith Thibodeaux
Keith Thibodeaux came to America’s attention as the son of Lucille Ball and Desi
Arnaz’s characters on the classic television show “I Love Lucy.” A child prodigy, Keith began playing drums at the age of two in Lafayette, Louisiana. His incredible skills at such a young age led to a national big-band tour and eventually cemented his role as “Little Ricky Ricardo.” “The Andy Griffith Show” followed, where Keith portrayed Opie’s buddy Johnny Paul Jason in 13 episodes of the classic series. He also appeared in numerous other series, such as “Route 66,” “The Shirley Temple Playhouse,” and “Hazel.”
While studying at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Keith joined and recorded with the rock band David and the Giants. He left the group after several years, but after his conversion to Christianity (along with the other band members), the group resumed work under the same name and became one of the country’s leading contemporary Christian music bands. As the drummer, singer, and songwriter for the band, Keith toured extensively in the United States, Canada, Jamaica, and England for 10 years
In January 1991, Keith joined his wife, Kathy, in contributing to Ballet Magnificat!, a Christian ballet company. In 1993, Keith became the company’s Executive Director. In addition to his current responsibilities at Ballet Magnificat!, Keith still finds time to play drums and record. Keith’s book, Life After Lucy, tells the story of his life, including playing “Little Ricky” on “I Love Lucy” and his Christian conversion
Joy Ellison
Joy Ellison appeared in Mayberry along with her pal, Opie, numerous times on The Andy Griffith Show in roles such as Effie Muggins in “Christmas Story,” Mary Scobey in “Andy Forecloses,” and Mary Wiggins, whom Opie thought was the best choice to be Miss Mayberry, in “The Beauty Contest.” While she is best remembered by “Andy Griffith Show” fans for her wonderful appearances as various young girls in Mayberry in episodes with Ron Howard, Joy appeared in numerous films and television series as a child.
Joy was a member of the Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College while studying Spanish, German, French, and Italian. She was active in theatre in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Hamburg, Germany, where she lived and taught for three years. Joy was also a proud member of the much-loved L.A. Repertory Theatre Company.
As a student in a speech and phonetics class at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, Joy truly fell in love with the study and analysis of the sound of language. Her experiences led her to her current career as an in-demand dialect coach who has worked with many of the world’s best-known performers, including Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Antonio Banderas, and others. Her work in films as a dialect coach continues, though she will always have fond memories of her time in Mayberry.
Be sure to meet Joy at the Celebrity Meet & Greet Banquet on Friday and the Celebrity Meet & Greet sessions on Saturday and Sunday! And on Sunday, don’t miss her recalling her Mayberry experiences while being interviewed on stage at Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg!
Dixie Griffith
Dixie Griffith is the daughter of Andy Griffith. While she made it a point to live out of the public media spotlight and did not pursue an acting career, she makes an exception when she portrays Skippy, one of the “Fun Girls from Mount Pilot,” as a tribute artist at Mayberry events across the country. She briefly participated in the performing arts as a younger person, including as an actor in the acclaimed outdoor symphonic drama “The Lost Colony.” This production has been performed on Roanoke Island in North Carolina every summer since 1937 and starred both Andy and his wife, Barbara, for a number of years. Dixie also later worked in the wardrobe department on two of her father’s films.
Dixie spent her childhood in both California and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She settled in Colorado, where she has spent many years raising children and enjoying the area’s abundant wildlife. She has participated in charitable work, including volunteering to care for foster dogs and supporting and volunteering at Denver Hospice
After so many years away from the performing arts, Dixie has recently made a foray back into projects known to many fans of the classic series. She served as one of the Executive Producers of the 2021 film “Mayberry Man” and is involved in the follow-up production “Mayberry Man: The Series.” This wonderful ambassador for her father’s series is easily accessible and will be easy to find, as “Fun Girl” Skippy, all around town at Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg and at the Celebrity Meet & Greet Banquet on Friday and the Celebrity Meet & Greet sessions
on Saturday and Sunday!
Karen Knotts
Karen Knotts is the daughter of Don Knotts. An actress and stand-up comedian, Karen has appeared in roughly a dozen films, the first as a young girl watching a shootout in her father’s comedy “The Shakiest Gun in the West.” Karen has also worked as an actress in television, most notably for Mayberry fans as Opie’s receptionist in the popular 1986 made-for-TV movie “Return to Mayberry.”
After studying at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Karen developed her popular one-woman show, “Tied Up in Knotts,” in which she shares memories of growing up as the daughter of such a legendary comic actor. In 2021, she released her memoir “Tied Up in Knotts: My Dad and Me.” She has also written other one-woman shows and plays, including “Roger and Betsey.” She continues to perform her shows at venues all across the country
After her early work in film and television, Karen added the role of comedian to her resumé. She has put her talents to good use in episodes of various television series, short films, and full-length films, including several of the “Vice Academy” movies. She played herself in the 2021 film “Mayberry Man” and also appears in the “Mayberry Man: The Series.” Don’t miss your chance to meet Karen at the Celebrity Meet & Greet Banquet on Friday and the Celebrity Meet & Greet sessions on Saturday and Sunday!