Tom Smothers Of ‘The Smothers Brothers’ Dies At 86

Tom Smothers, one half of the iconic Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo, died on Tuesday, December 26, in Santa Rosa, Calif. due to cancer. He was 86. His younger brother and co-star of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” Dick Smothers, announced that Tom died at home with his family. “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 issued by the National Comedy Center. “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.” https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1740065506231476708 From Variety:

Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line, “Mom always liked you best.”

The siblings are also remembered for infusing social commentary into their humor; “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” which ran for three seasons on CBS, became controversial for its political critiques and sympathy to counterculture amid the Vietnam War era. The show was suddenly canceled by CBS in 1969.

https://twitter.com/RollingStone/status/1740059042255675413 https://twitter.com/robreiner/status/1740068485609513206 As many have noted, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” changed the face of TV in the 1960s with its fearless approach to politics, addressing racism and the Vietnam War. It’s hard to imagine a “Saturday Night Live” without the Smothers Brothers having led the way. The duo were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2010. And in 2008, Tom was honored with an Emmy Award for his writing contributions to “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” having removed his name from consideration for the 1969 Emmys for fear of creating controversy for the show. https://youtu.be/pAaG6fJBUwA?si=5XgtpztKQMdafyrB https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1740057969184678140 https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1740058462283788335