Actor/singer Jim Nabors has been performing “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the Indianapolis 500 since 1972. On Saturday, he sang the traditional race-opener one last time.
“You know, there’s a time in life when you have to move on,” the actor known for playing Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and its subsequent spinoffs told USA Today. “I’ll be 84 this year. I just figured it was time….This is really the highlight of my year to come here. It’s very sad for me, but nevertheless there’s something inside of me that tells me when it’s time to go.”
Watch his final rendition of the tune below: