Tom Smother of the ‘Smothers Brothers’ dead at 86
Tom Smothers, one half of the iconic counterculture comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, has died at the age of 86.
His younger brother Dick Smothers, 84, broke the news, informing fans that he had succumbed to cancer while surrounded by his family in Sonoma County, California. “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” he said.
Continuing: “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.”
After the pair began performing together in 1959, they quickly became associated with the counterculture revolution. When they were granted a TV show, they used it as an open platform to shine a light on the forward-thinking musicians of the age, even embarking on singalongs with the likes of Harry Nilsson.
With this altruistic approach still in mind, it has been requested by his family that any memorial donations be made to the National Comedy Center. The museums’ Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement: “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.”
He continued: “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 duo symbolised both the progressive intent of art in the 1960s, and the community feel that fuelled it, using their platform to not only showcase their own considered and contemporary new brand of comedy, but also to welcome the likes of George Harrison into that world, indicative of how art was blending into one mass of culture. As he once said, “The spokesmen for today are the young poets, and they communicate through their music.”
Tom Smothers is survived by his two children.
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