Tom Smothers
1937-2023
Tom Smothers, who with his brother Dick, formed one-half of the folk singing comedy act, The Smothers Brothers, died earlier this week at the age of 86.
The Smothers Brothers were a hit act on the folk singing and college tour circuit in the early 1960's who rocketed to popularity on the television talk shows and variety shows later in the decade. They were given their own variety show on CBS in 1968, and the network got more that they cared to bargain for. The show took on topics such as civil rights and anti-Viet Nam war stances, which led to the shows abrupt cancelation in 1971. When one thinks of what you can see on television these days, the Brothers' "offenses", if that is what they indeed were, seem mild and somewhat easy going. Still, they were a seminal act of their time, and their place in the Popular Culture cannot be denied.
I wasn't sure that I was inclined to do one of these write-ups on Tom Smothers, but a reading of the various news obits for him have changed my mind. That, and the fact that I didn't want to year to close with my last Absent Friend write up being on Henry Kissinger. Still, when you think about it, both Smothers and Kissinger can be kind of sort of linked together in the zietgiest of their era.
I could go on, but I think that you would be better served by looking at Tom and Dick Smothers doing one of their classic pieces, "My Old Man."
RIP Tommy Smothers
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