Maggie Peterson
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Margaret Ann Peterson (January 10, 1941 – May 15, 2022) was an American actress and singer. She was best known for playing Charlene Darling on ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...
''. She also played the character of Doris in the episode "A Girl for Goober" (1968).


Life and career

The youngest of four children, Peterson was born in Greeley, Colorado, to Arthur and Tressa Hill Peterson. Her father was a doctor and her mother a homemaker. Aside from ''The Andy Griffith Show'', Peterson also appeared on other TV shows, such as ''
Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...
'', ''
Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television absurdist sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first br ...
'', '' Gomer Pyle USMC'', and '' The Odd Couple''. She appeared in an episode of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' as Edna, a cafe waitress; in the 1986 film '' Return to Mayberry''; as the innocent Rose Ellen in the 1969 film ''
The Love God? ''The Love God?'' is a 1969 American comedy film starring Don Knotts and Edmond O'Brien. It was written and directed by Nat Hiken, who died between the completion of shooting and the film's release. ''The Love God?'' marked a change of pace for Kn ...
'', starring opposite
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...
; and in the 1968 film '' Angel in My Pocket''. Peterson landed a role as Susie, the coffee-shop waitress on '' The Bill Dana Show'', another spin-off from ''
The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the sho ...
'', which aired from September 1963 to January 1965. Peterson grew up in a musical family. While growing up in Colorado, she has said her earliest memories were of music. Peterson, her brother Jim, and two of Jim's friends formed a small group called the Ja-Da Quartet. They would ride around in the back of a pickup truck singing to people. In 1954 at a
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
convention, Dick Linke (manager of
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...
and
Jim Nabors James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian, widely known for his signature character, Gomer Pyle. Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica nightclub, and ...
) heard Peterson singing and was so impressed with her, he encouraged her to come to New York. So in 1958, after graduating high school, Peterson and the group did just that. They landed a number of stints on the ''
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...
Show'' and the ''
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...
Show'', and in 1959, they released their album ''It's the Most Happy Sound''. Soon after, the band broke up and went back home. A short time later, Peterson joined another group, the Ernie Mariani Trio (later renamed Margaret Ann and the Ernie Mariani Trio). The group traveled for several years and had stints in resort areas such as Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Reno, where
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
and the
Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers that, in its second iteration, ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, s ...
were often seen in the audience while Peterson performed. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by ''The Andy Griffith Show'' director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. For ''The Andy Griffith Show'', Peterson initially read for the role of Ellie Walker, a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but the role went to
Elinor Donahue Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue; April 19, 1937) is an American retired actress known for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson, on the 1950s American sitcom ''Father Knows Best''. Early li ...
. Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. The only daughter of Briscoe Darling, she had a crush on Sheriff Taylor ("Pa, can't I even just look at the pretty man?"). Peterson later returned to ''The Andy Griffith Show'' in its final season, in "A Girl for Goober," as Doris, who was the dating interest of Ken Berry's character. The Darlings, including Briscoe's four boys (played by
The Dillards The Dillards are an American bluegrass music, bluegrass and country rock band from Salem, Missouri. They are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments, and they are considered to be pioneers of cou ...
bluegrass band), lived in the mountains and came to town on many occasions. When in town, they enjoyed playing music with Andy. One of Charlene's favorite songs is "Salty Dog". The ones that made her cry were "Slimy River Bottom", "Boil that Cabbage Down", and "Keep Your Money in Your Shoes and it Won't Get Wet". Ernest T. Bass had his eyes on Charlene and believed he had courting rights because her marriage to Dud Wash had been performed by Sheriff Andy Taylor acting as a justice of the peace, not by a
preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...
. He tried to steal her away on the day they were to be remarried by a preacher. Threatening the gathering with a high-powered rifle, he runs off with the fully veiled "bride". While Charlene and Dud are hurriedly married by the preacher, Ernest T. discovers the person in the veil is really Barney Fife. Charlene and Dud had a daughter together, Andilina. They tried to betroth Andilina to Opie, as it was customary in their family. Briscoe called off the engagement of Opie and Andilina when he discovered witchery was in the Taylor family. According to Jim Clark of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club, the three songs on which Charlene performed on the show can be found on the album ''Songs That Make Me Cry''. In 1968, while she was singing as an opening act for Andy Griffith at a casino in Lake Tahoe, Peterson met jazz musician Ronald Bernard "Gus" Mancuso who was playing bass in a lounge act. The two married in 1978, and were together until his death in 2021. The couple spent a number of years in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, where Peterson worked doing commercials, until they decided to settle in Las Vegas, where Peterson worked as a location scout for film and television. In 1969, she starred on the big screen as “Rose Ellen”, girlfriend to Don Knotts in the comedy movie ''
The Love God? ''The Love God?'' is a 1969 American comedy film starring Don Knotts and Edmond O'Brien. It was written and directed by Nat Hiken, who died between the completion of shooting and the film's release. ''The Love God?'' marked a change of pace for Kn ...
''. In April 2008, the Darlings received a star on the Missouri Walk of Fame in
Marshfield, Missouri Marshfield is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, Marshfield had a population of 7,458. As of 2024, the population is estimated to be 7,935. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri, metropolitan ar ...
. Peterson and Darlings/Dillards band members Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne were on hand representing the Darlings. In May 2016 and May 2019, Peterson appeared as a guest of honor at the Mayberry in the Midwest Festival in
Danville, Indiana Danville is a town in and the county seat of Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 10,559 at the 2020 census. History Danville was founded in 1824, and its post office one year later. Danville was incorporated as a town in ...
.


Death

Peterson died in her sleep, surrounded by family and friends, on May 15, 2022, aged 81. She had been in declining health following the death of her husband Gus.


References


External links

* (as Maggie Mancuso) * * as Margaret Ann {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Maggie 1941 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Colorado American film actresses American television actresses 21st-century American women People from Greeley, Colorado Place of death missing