Show biz legend and one of my favorite television cops of all time, Andy Griffith died earlier this week at the age of 86 and his cause of death has been released.

The death certificate says that Andy Griffith died of a heart attack.

He actually suffered the heart attack about a day before he actually passed away. He had also quietly suffered for years from hypertension and coronary artery disease. Doctors also say he had high cholesterol.

The certificate was filed Tuesday in Dare County, where he lived and he is buried in the Griffith family cemetery.

Andy is best known as Sheriff Andy Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show and as Ben Matlock on Matlock, but if you want to see his true range, check out 1958′s A Face in the Crowd. It will air on the Turner Classic Movie Channel on July 18 at 7pm. It will lead off their evening of a tribute to Andy. TMC is also airing three other of Andy’s movies that night: No Time for Sergeants, Hearts of the West and Onionhead.

Andy Griffith died Tuesday morning at his home in North Carolina.

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