Comedian Tom Smothers Of The Smothers Brothers Passes Away At 86
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Tom Smothers of the comedy duo The Smothers Brothers, has passed away at the age of 86. His passing was related to his long battle with cancer.
Born on February 2nd, 1937, at the Fort Jay Army Post Hospital in New York City, Smothers was a competitive unicyclist and state champion gymnast at Redondo Union High School and participated in gymnastics and pole vaulting for the track team at San Jose State University. Tom and his younger brother Dick initially wanted to become serious folk musicians, but Tom felt he wasn’t good enough to be a musician but funny enough to be a comedian, so they started adding comedy bits into their acts. His first foray into television was as a regular on The Steve Allen Show in 1961. Tom and Dick Smothers would later get their sitcom, titled The Smothers Brothers Show, on CBS. It ran from 1965 to 1966. During the run of the show, the duo struggled with creative control, and this was something Tom wanted to ensure with their next television venture, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
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The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was the duo’s more successful television venture. It aired on CBS from February 5th, 1967, to June 8th, 1969. Tom was able to sneak in clever references to drugs, religion, and politics within the series. The series would also air several promo videos for popular artists of the time, including one for The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” However, the show would be mired in controversy and often face the ire of CBS censors, which ultimately led to the show’s cancelation in 1969. After, Tom became more involved in politics. He also befriended Beatle John Lennon and was featured on acoustic guitar in Lennon’s 1969 single “Give Peace a Chance.”
Smothers became a poster boy for the First Amendment and chided comedian Bill Cosby for not taking a stance on the civil rights movement. The Smothers Brothers reunited various times, with their latest reunion being in 2019, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cancelation of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The duo also guest starred in an episode of The Simpsons. A tour had been announced for 2023, but it was canceled due to Tom’s stage-2 lung cancer diagnosis.
Tom was surrounded by family at the time of his death, including his brother and comedic partner, Dick. Dick had this to say regarding his late brother:
"Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner…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.”
Tom is survived by his younger brother Dick, his wife Marcy Carriker, his children Bo and Riley Rose, and his grandson Phoenix Parrish-Smothers. The family will have a private ceremony in 2024.
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