We Lost a Great One - Tom Smothers
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Died Tuesday of cancer.
I'm forever grateful for their work and the stands they took. Especially for bringing John Hartford and his music to more people. They broke the mold with those guys.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tom-smothers-dead-dies_n_658c5d3de4b014ec...
From the story:
But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as the Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches — ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era’s hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits — found an immediate audience with young baby boomers. The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season.
It also drew the ire of network censors, and after years of battling with the brothers over the show’s creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1970, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review.
Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness.
“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war,” Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those “who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won’t shut up and refuse to be silenced.”
During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS’s censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter “is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.” At Christmas, when other show hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada.
In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson for the Vietnam War. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air.
Among the crack writing crew that Smothers headed were future actor-producer Rob Reiner, musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy in 2008. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Roarshock
Yeah. Makes me feel old and
Yeah. Makes me feel old and sad.
I always felt the Smothers Brothers were on our Team, part of the "Counter Culture."
Tommy came across as a super nice guy, and I bet that's how he was in real life. RIP.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
Some videos might cheer us up
Yes, Roarshock. After years of working, they had success in their hands. But they stood up for what they believed and lost a lot for doing so. Courageous in volatile times.
Some videos might cheer us up and help us remember what we loved ... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tommy+smothers
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
RIP
RIP
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MarkD
my dad was a huge fan, and as
My dad was a huge fan, and as I watched them preform with him I became a huge lifelong fan myself. They were so much more than a comedy singing duo. I was a huge fan of the show when it was on the air and at one time or another I have probably watched every show again, long after the series was canceled by the cbs nazis.
A few yrs ago, I read this book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7152879-dangerously-funny. It is a great telling of the story. Tommy was a counterculture hero that few knew about. The music and the antiwar themes were hard fought victories that also came with many defeats. It is a must read if you were a fan of the show. (Or any of the great shows that followed in the wake, able to hit new heights because of the battles that he/they fought.)
I was fortunate to catch them live at the Canyon Club in soCal maybe 10 or 12 yrs ago. They did their old routines and were great. But the highlight of the show was a maybe 15 minute highlight film of the series that they showed as a "setbreak".
This has been a hellofayear. Many of my heroes have fallen. This one hits hard. RIP Tommy.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Was just listening to The Who
Was just listening to The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" soundtrack yesterday, which starts with their appearance on The Smothers Brothers Show, with Tommy introducing the band, a hilariously classic television bit:
The Who My Generation Smothers Brothers, 1967 - YouTube
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
RIP to one of the greatest of
RIP to one of the greatest of the greats!!!
Impersonating Johnny Carson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyFb45x_zgA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: nevermind
I was just talking with my
I was just talking with my mom about the Smothers Brothers a few days ago. I was too young to really appreciate their humor in the late 60s, but I do remember liking their sibling rivalry shtick.
RIP Tommy.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
One of my earliest memories
One of my earliest memories was sitting in my bean bag chair, transfixed on John Hartford picking the banjo on the smothers brothers tv show rerun
like a real life musical superhero
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Zzzzzz
I've posted this before but
I've posted this before but relevant to this thread.
As a child, I was a huge fan of the smothers brothers. I'm not sure why but for some reason I became aware of the yo yo man's mad yo-yo skill and was hooked. I used to read the newspaper tv guide to highlight the upcoming shows for the week. VCR's were new and if you missed something, you never saw it again unless you were fortunate enough to plan ahead. One Saturday, low and behold, WGN.had a three hour yo yo man special. I'm serious. Three hours of the yo yo man was just insane and I was so excited. So I tuned in. Well I sat and watched about an hour and a half of classical music before I gave up. I guessed they reprogrammed the show and i just happened to miss what I thought would be pure childhood bliss.
A few years later I realized the misprint in the tv guide wasn't actually a misprint. Turns our it really was a three hour Yo Yo Ma special and they hadn't forgotten the n off the word 'man'.
So thank you for posting the videos, They were great and gave the adult child the enjoyment he wish he had witnessed as a kid.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Def. High
RIP Tommy. Used to watch them
RIP Tommy. Used to watch them all the time.
Re. YoYo Ma(n) -
When I was about 12 (ca. 1963) my family was vacationing in Provincetown. My dad knew the author Norman Mailer slightly and saw in the local paper that he would be appearing at a local bar.
He decided to head down there and have a drink with ol' Normie. When he got back to the cottage he told us sheepishly that he had misread the announcement, and it was actually Norma Miller the Whip Girl.
He stayed for part of her show - dunno if he had a drink with her or not.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
Mother liked Tommy best.
Mother liked Tommy best.
RIP
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MarkD
20 yr reunion show.
20 yr reunion show.
If you are too young to have seen this show, this special will show you a taste of what it was.
If you are like me and never missed an episode, this will make you smile. If not tear up a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEiGODZWWl4