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Tom Smothers of Smothers Brothers comedy duo dies at 86
The Industry Dec 27, 2023
Tom Smothers. | Photo courtesy of the National Comedy Center
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Tom Smothers, the stammering, innocent-looking driving force behind the groundbreaking “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” TV show in the 1960s that led the way for the political and cultural satire of “Saturday Night Live,” has died at 86 after a battle with cancer, it was announced Wednesday.
Smothers died Tuesday at his home in Santa Rosa, according to multiple reports.
Dick Smothers, Tom’s younger brother and co-star of the show, said Tom was at home with his family at the time of his death.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick Smothers said in a statement. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
The Smothers Brothers were known as a folk-singing duo with a difference. With Tom playing guitar and Dick playing acoustic bass, they spent time on air bickering as well as singing. Dick played the straight man to Tom’s intentionally stuttering, deliberately dim-witted character.
“The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” aired on CBS from 1967-69, taking on an increasingly political tone as the war in Vietnam raged. At one point, CBS executives ordered the popular, politically left-leaning show to be taped and completed some 10 days in advance so more edgy content could be edited out.
But their provocative humor also pushed barriers in the politically charged 1960s — and eventually, the barrier-pushing pushed executives too far and the show was canceled — reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration.
The show also featured popular musical acts of the day such as Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield, the Doors and Jefferson Airplane. In 1967, folk singer Pete Seeger made an appearance on the show, his first network appearance in 17 years following the blacklisting of the 1950s.
It helped launch the careers of comedy legends such as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s at a time when only a handful of television stations competed on the dial. Just two weeks after the show premiered, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” beat “Bonanza” in the ratings, which at the time was practically unthinkable.
In a statement, the National Comedy Center said Tom Smothers “was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades — but was a true champion for freedom of speech, harnessing the power of comedy to push boundaries and our political consciousness.
“Tom was a true pioneer who changed the face of television and transformed our culture with ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,’ which satirized politics, combated racism, protested the Vietnam War, and led the way for ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Daily Show,’ today’s network late night shows, and so much more.”
The Smothers Brothers were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Nov. 2, 1989.
At 1 p.m. Wednesday, flowers will be placed on the star at 6555 Hollywood Blvd.
Besides his brother Dick, Smothers is survived by his children Bo and Riley Rose Smothers; grandson Phoenix; Marcy Carriker Smothers; sister-in-law Marie Smothers; and several nephews and a niece, the National Comedy Center said.
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