Thomas Smothers was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, gained fame as half of the musical comedy duo, the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. Smothers collaborated with John Lennon, contributing acoustic guitar to the recording of Lennon’s 1969 song “Give Peace a Chance.”
Bio/Wiki
Age: 86 years
Height: 1.74 m)
Weight: 78 kg
Full name: Thomas Bolyn Smothers III,
Born: 2 February 1937
Birthplace: Governors Island, New York, United States
Died: 26 December 2023, Santa Rosa, California, United States
Spouse: Marcy Carriker (m. 1990–2023), Rochelle Robley (m. 1974–1976), Stephanie Shorr (m. 1963–1967)
Profession: comedian and actor
Nationality: American
Parents
His father was Major Thomas B. Smothers, and unfortunately, the name of his mother is not known. The Smothers brothers were both born on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where their father, Thomas B. Smothers Jr., a West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, was stationed. Tom was born on February 2, 1937, and Dick was born on November 20, 1938. Major Smothers served in the 45th Infantry Regiment and tragically lost his life during World War II while being transported from a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Fukuoka, Japan, to a POW camp in Mukden, Manchukuo. Following their father’s passing, Tom and Dick were raised by their mother in the Los Angeles area.
Wife
Tom Smothers is survived by his wife, Marcy Carriker Smothers, along with two children, Bo Smothers and Riley Rose Smothers. Additionally, he leaves behind a grandson.
Career
After graduating from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, the Smothers brothers attended San Jose State University. Following a brief stint in a folk group called the Casual Quintet, they officially debuted as a duo in February 1959 at The Purple Onion in San Francisco. Achieving popularity in clubs, they went on to release several successful top 40 albums for Mercury Records, with their most notable success being “Curb Your Tongue, Knave!” in 1964.
The Smothers Brothers made their first national television appearance on The Jack Paar Show on January 28, 1961. Subsequently, on Sunday night, October 6, 1963, at 9:00 p.m. E.S.T., they appeared on the CBS variety series, The Judy Garland Show, which also featured Barbra Streisand. Tom and Dick took over Garland’s time slot when their own variety series commenced in early 1967.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour initially started as a slightly “hip” version of the typical comedy-variety show of its era. However, it quickly transformed into a program that pushed the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire during that time. While the Smothers Brothers themselves played a leading role in these efforts, credit is also due to the talented writers and regular performers they brought on board, including Steve Martin, Don Novello, Rob Reiner, presidential candidate Pat Paulsen, Bob Einstein, Albert Brooks, and resident hippie Leigh French.
The show played a key role in introducing pop singer Jennifer Warnes (originally billed as Jennifer Warren or simply Jennifer), who became a regular on the series. Furthermore, the television premiere of Mason Williams’ hit record, “Classical Gas,” took place on the show, with Williams also serving as the head writer for the series.
In February 1970, The Return of the Smothers Brothers aired as an hour-long special, featuring guests such as Peter Fonda and Glen Campbell. The brothers continued their career with various television shows, including a 1978 Broadway musical replacement cast for “I Love My Wife” and appearances on Benson in 1985. They reunited with CBS in 1988 for a special celebrating the 20th anniversary of their variety show, leading to The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1988–1989). In 2010, after more than 51 years of touring, they officially announced their retirement. They made a brief appearance together in 2019 and announced a tour for 2023, but it was canceled, and in July 2023, Tom Smothers revealed his stage 2 lung cancer diagnosis. Tom Smothers passed away on December 26, 2023, at the age of 86.
Controversy
As the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour shifted its focus towards a more youth-oriented direction, it gained both popularity and controversy. The show’s content, defined by satire targeting racism, the President of the United States, and the Vietnam War, ultimately contributed to its demise. The brothers frequently clashed with CBS’s network censors, who, at the start of the 1968–69 season, mandated that the Smothers Brothers submit finished shows 10 days prior to airing for censorship purposes.
Conflicts escalated, with CBS editing out segments deemed too controversial, such as Harry Belafonte singing “Lord, Don’t Stop the Carnival” against the backdrop of the 1968 Democratic National Convention and satirical remarks about their competitor, Bonanza. Content battles persisted, including a controversial David Steinberg sermon about Moses and the Burning Bush. Some local stations made their own deletions, exacerbating the ongoing issues.
The breaking point came after a rerun on March 9, 1969, which CBS justified by claiming the episode didn’t arrive in time for preview. This episode featured Joan Baez paying tribute to her husband entering prison for refusing military service and a joke by Jackie Mason about children “playing doctor.” When the delayed airing finally occurred two months later, CBS edited out the reason for Baez’s husband being in prison.
Despite the conflict, the show was initially renewed for the 1969-70 season on March 14, seemingly resolving the debate. However, CBS abruptly canceled the show on April 4, 1969, with the stated reason being the brothers’ failure to meet pre-air delivery dates for censorship review. This led to a successful breach of contract lawsuit by the Smothers Brothers against CBS, though the show did not return to the air. Despite the cancellation, the show won the Emmy Award that year for best writing. The documentary film “Smothered” (2002) delves into the saga of the show’s cancellation.
Tom Smothers Net worth
As of the time of his passing, Tom Smothers had an estimated net worth of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Cause of Death
Tom Smothers, one of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of a pioneering and socially conscious television show, passed away at the age of 86. The National Comedy Center, speaking on behalf of his family, announced on Wednesday that Smothers succumbed to cancer at his residence in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Tuesday.
“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,” his brother and the duo’s other half, Dick Smothers, said in the statement. “Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
