Learning about someone’s death is never easy, even if it is a celebrity that we admired. The death of Tom Smother’s will likely break a lot of hearts. Keep reading to learn more about what happened.
The National Comedy Center released a statement announcing the death of Tom Smothers, one-half of the singing comedy duo, the Smothers Brothers. Tom passed away at the age of 86 years old.
Dick Smother’s, Tom’s younger brother confirmed the death was due to cancer. He said, “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 went on to say, “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.”
The brother duo lead a popular CBS variety show called The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The show ran from 1967 to 1969. The show lead them to being popular figures in television history. However, their show was canceled because the brothers had controversial stances on several issues. They were vocal about their political opinions, they supported the civil rights movement and were critical of the Vietnam war. Their stances lead to them having their show canceled as the network and censorship authorities could not let opinions like that air.
Years later, Tom Smothers expressed his frustrations with what he and his brother had to go through. “Fifty years later I look back on us being fired and I’m still pissed off,” he stated in a 2019 interview for “All Arts TV,” a statement which garnered a lot of chuckles.
Tom also once said they never considered themselves comedians. Rather, they were just folk singers. The brothers initially gained popularity because of their talents as musicians. Their comedy show saw rising popularity and soon surpassed the ratings of one of the best shows at that time, Bonanza. The success of their talents led to them getting their own show; The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Dick Smothers later reflected on this incredible feat and shared with CBS News, “It was the biggest thrill, it was unbelievable!”
The death of Tom Smothers is truly heartbreaking. We are sending his family our best as they navigate their loss. Share this with other fans of the musician and comedian so they can also offer their condolences.
