Tom Smothers Death – Tom Smothers, the elder member of the humorous folk duo the Smothers Brothers, passed away on Tuesday at his home in Santa Rosa, California, a city in Sonoma County. His skits and songs from “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” in the late 1960s introduced political satire and a youthful irreverence to network television, paving the way for shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The Daily Show.” He was eighty-six.
On behalf of the family, a spokeswoman for the National Comedy Center said that he passed away “after a recent battle with cancer.”
As a folk act with a twist, the Smothers Brothers made their way onto network television. Tom was on guitar and Dick was on stand-up bass, so they argued more than they sang.
Tom would attempt to introduce their tunes with a tale, a halting delivery and an innocent smile, but his doubtful brother would always pick at him. He would become increasingly irate and frequently offer the same tired old non sequitur, “Mom always liked you best,” as his aggravation grew.
CBS gave the brothers artistic authority over “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” a one-hour variety show that debuted in February 1967 with the intention of reaching a younger audience. It courted controversy for the following three seasons as it tackled issues such as recreational drug usage, racial unrest, religious extremism, and American policy in Vietnam.
Features like Leigh French’s “Share a Little Tea With Goldie,” which frequently make references to drugs, can either make viewers laugh or cringe, depending on their age and political inclination.
In a 2006 interview, Mr. Smothers stated, “We kept saying during the first year that the show has to have something to say more than just empty sketches and vacuous comedy.” Thus, we made it a point to include valuable content that made a statement and represented what was going on in the streets.
Tom, who was more liberal than his brother and was primarily in charge of the show’s production, pushed the bounds of taste at every opportunity and hired writers who understood the perspectives of the Baby Boomer generation, like Rob Reiner, Steve Martin, Pat Paulsen, and Mason Williams.
According to Tom, on one program, “Easter is when Jesus comes out of his tomb, and if he sees his shadow he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.”