TOM SMOTHERS OBITUARY: The Biography

Introduction

Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was an American comedian, songwriter, and musician. He was best known for his role as half of the musical comedy duo known as the Smothers Brothers, which he formed with his younger brother Dick. He passed away on December 26, 2023. On December 26, 2023, he went away.

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Tom Smothers’ Early Life Exploration

Tom Smothers came into this world in 1937 at the New York City military garrison hospital Fort Jay on Governors Island. His mother, Ruth (née Remick), was a housewife, and his father, Major Thomas B. Smothers, was an army officer who passed away as a prisoner of war (POW) of the Japanese in April 1945. He received his high school diploma from Redondo Union High School, which is located in Redondo Beach, California, after relocating to the state of California. In addition to becoming a state champion gymnast in the parallel bars, he was also a competitive unicyclist. In later years, Smothers attended San José State University, which was formerly known as San José State College. During her time at SJSC, Smothers was a member of the track team and competed in both gymnastics and pole vault.

Highlights of Tom Smothers’ career

At first, the Smothers Brothers had the intention of becoming folk artists. Tom was not certain that he was talented enough to pursue a career as a professional musician; but, he believed that he was humorous enough to perform stand-up comedy. The two started incorporating comedic elements into their performance. When they first began performing together as a duet in Aspen, it was a series of performances. All of the introductions were made by Tom Smothers. For each and every song, he would just come up with new material. To which Dickie responded, asking why he didn’t try repeating some of the stuff.

In 1961, Tom Smothers made his debut in the world of television by appearing on The Steve Allen Showas a regular cast member. After he left that role, he appeared in a single episode of the television show Burke’s Law. After that, the Smothers Brothers made their next appearance on the CBS comedy The Smothers Brothers Show, which ran from 1965 to 1966. Tom was of the opinion that the show did not capitalise on the strengths that the brothers possessed, and he desired to have creative control of their subsequent endeavour.

In 1967, Tom Smothers successfully fought for creative control of their subsequent CBS show, which was a variety show called The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The brothers, particularly Tom, fought against CBS censors in order to sneak in references to religion, recreational drugs, sex, and the Vietnam War. This was recounted in the documentary titled Smothered. Smothers is frequently cited as saying that the only legitimate kind of censorship of ideas is the liberty of individuals to choose not to listen. It was the brothers’ opposing politics that ultimately contributed to the death of their show.

David Steinberg later stated that the most inventive variety show on television was cancelled due to political pressure. During the same years, Tom composed and recorded songs that were popular in the mainstream, such as Can’t Help Falling in Love with You. Since then, Tom has remarked that when the Smothers Brothers first appeared on the air, they did not have any political or social consciousness; rather, it was something that developed naturally as the show continued to air.

At the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Smothers was the one who introduced a few musical performances. As he got more politically involved, he became friends with celebrities who shared his political views, such as John Lennon. Smothers contributed his guitar playing skills to John Lennon’s recording of his single Give Peace a Chance in 1969. The song also included a mention of Smothers’s name. A ‘Bed-In’ honeymoon for John Lennon and Yoko Ono took place on June 1, 1969, in Room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was during this honeymoon that the song was written and performed. Imagine: John Lennon is a documentary film that was released in 1988. In the film, Smothers is shown in the hotel room.

Political Involvements

As a result of the cancellation of the show, Tom Smothers grew more adamant in his political stance. In addition to losing his sense of humour, he also lost his perspective. He began to believe in the concept of the “First Amendment,” which protects the right to freedom of speech, and he became a poster boy for the cause. Approximately three years ago, he was extremely serious about everything he did. He continued to be politically active and was successful in putting things in the right place.

The political beliefs of Tom Smothers are diametrically opposed to those of his brother Dick, whom Tom Smothers has regarded as being more traditional. Tom publicly voiced his opposition to the Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as his participation in and support of the Vietnam War. Tom remarked in 2006 that the real-life political and philosophical differences between the two individuals were a significant factor in their ability to keep up their act for as long as they did.

Films Roles

In one of the earlier films directed by Brian De Palma, Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972), Tom Smothers played the role of Donald Beeman, a former corporate executive who became a tap-dancing magician. In the film Silver Bears, he also portrayed the role of a banker. Later on, he played the role of Spike in the 1980 film Serial. In the animated Christmas special The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas that was produced by DePatie and Freleng for NBC in 1973, he provided the voice of Ted E. Bear, also known as Theodore Edward Bear.

Ten years later, Tom Smothers provided the voice of Ted E. Bear once more for the Halloween sequel The Great Bear Scare. In the year 1980, Smothers had a starring role in the movie There Goes the Bride. His role in the 1982 ensemble picture Pandemonium was that of a brave Canadian Mountie trying to apprehend a serial murderer at a cheerleading camp. In 1983, he had a guest appearance on an episode of the television series Tales of the Unexpected that was broadcast in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he provided the voice for one of the characters in the animated Christmas film Precious Moments: Timmy’s Special Delivery that was released in 1993.

Later Work

In 2007, Tom Smothers and Dick Smothers produced a series of thirty-second ads and advertising spots for the River Rock Casino, which is located near Geyserville, California. In recent years, “Yo-Yo Man” has been a component of their performances as a means of enhancing their act. He was a comic performer of stunts with a yo-yo, and Tom Smothers had invented the character in the late 1960s. The character was largely silent. The trademark for the term “Yo-Yo Man” is registered in his name. It was announced that “Yo-Yo Man” will be the opening act for the band’s tour in 2008. Tom and Dick both appeared as guest stars in an episode of The Simpsons from the 21st season, which aired in December 2009 and also featured Cooper, Peyton, and Eli Manning. In 2019, Tom and Dick Smothers got back together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sudden termination of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The brothers made the announcement that they will be going on tour in 2023 during the episode of CBS News Sunday Morning that aired on December 11, 2022.

Awards and Accomplishments

At the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place in 2008, Smothers was presented with a special Emmy award.

The Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedic Series was bestowed upon the writing staff of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969, when he was serving as the head writer for the show. Due to the fact that Smothers believed his name to be too combustible, he had refused to allow his name to be included on the list of authors who were nominated for the Emmy. Steve Martin, who was one of the writers who had won the prize in the first place, was the one who presented the award during the ceremony that took place in 2008.

Tom Smothers was presented with the Jack Green Civil freedoms Award by the Sonoma County branch of the American Civil Liberties Union on May 6, 2011. This award was presented to Smothers in recognition of his efforts to combat television censorship and his advocacy for peace and civil freedoms.

The Personal Life Trajectory of Tom Smothers

During the years 1977 to 2023, Smothers was the proprietor of Remick Ridge Vineyards, which was located in Sonoma County, California. He sold the vineyards in 2023. Bo, who was born in 1991, and Riley Rose, who was born in 1996, are the two children that Smothers and his wife, Marcy Carriker, have. As a result of his first marriage, he is also the father of a son named Thomas Bolyn Smothers IV (Tom Jr.), as well as a grandson named Phoenix Parrish-Smothers. The sister of Tom and Dick is named Sherry, and she was born in Pasadena, California, in September of 1941.

Controversies

The well-known comic Bill Cosby was criticised by Smothers in the 1970s for his lack of stance on political topics of the time, such as civil rights. Smothers was a highly combustible individual at the time, and he believed that everyone ought to take a stance. It was something that he said truly infuriated him. Smothers would greet Bill and inquire about his well-being for a couple of years after that, but Bill would not shake hands with him. During the month of October in 1976, both Bill Cosby and Smothers were present for a party held at Playboy Mansion. Cosby’s hit to Smothers in the head was the culmination of the animosity that existed between the two.