Smothers Brothers are renowned musicians, folk singers, and comedians of their time. The duo has an age difference of one and a half years and was born in the late 1930s. The primary question that arises here is if the Smothers brothers are still alive.
The answer is Yes! The duo is alive and healthy and recently completed over 50 years of the controversial cancellation of the famous show ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’
To know more about the Smothers Brothers, let us have a look at their life and how the two individuals created their identity as a team.
Who are Smothers Brothers?
Thomas Smothers and Richard Smothers are known as Smothers Brothers. They were both born to army officer Major Thomas B. Smothers, who died in World War II as a Prisoner of War in April 1945.
Smothers Brothers enter the entertainment world individually in the late 1950s and 1960s. But the duo mainly got recognition because of their appearance together in their own show, ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’
The show was first aired in 1967 on CBS and won the hearts of the viewers with its outstanding comedy and musical acts.
Before proceeding further with the Smothers Brothers Show, let us first know a little bit about Thomas Smothers and Richard Smothers individually, along with the early life and educational background of the duo.
About Thomas Smothers
The full name of Thomas Smother is Thomas Bolyn Smothers III, and he is also known as Tom Smothers. He was born in 1937 at the Fort Jay Army post Hospital on Governors Island in New York City.
Tom completed his graduate studies at the Redondo Union High School. Later, he attended San Jose State University and completed his education there. Tom liked to participate in sports during his education.
Tom was good in gymnastics and pole vault and was also a competitive unicyclist while he was studying.
Let us have a look at quick facts about the elder brother of the famous Smothers Brothers.
| Name | Thomas Smothers |
| Full Name | Thomas Bolyn Smothers III |
| Nick Name | Tom |
| Date of Birth | February 2, 1937 |
| Birth Place | Governors Island, New York, USA |
| Age | 85 Years |
| Gender | Male |
| Spouse | Marcy Carriker |
| Nationality | American |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Children | Three |
| Siblings | Sherry Smothers, Dick Smothers |
| Well Known as | Member of Smothers Brothers |
| Profession | Comedian, Musician, Composer, Actor |
| Net Worth | NA |
About Dick Smothers
The full name of Dick Smothers is Richard Remick Smothers. He was born almost in the end months of 1938 in New York in the United States of America.
The younger Smothers brother attended high school at Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California, and completed his graduate studies at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach.
Later, he also attended the San Jose State University like his elder brother Tom. Richard was also an active participant in sports and was a distance runner for the track team.
Let us further have a quick look at the younger Smothers brothers.
| Name | Dick Smothers |
| Full Name | Richard Remick Smothers |
| Date of Birth | November 20, 1938 |
| Birth Place | Governors Island, New York, USA |
| Age | 83 Years |
| Gender | Male |
| Spouse | Marie Navarolli Kropp |
| Nationality | American |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Children | Five |
| Siblings | Sherry Smothers, Dick Smothers |
| Well Known as | Member of Smothers Brothers |
| Profession | Actor, Comedian, and Musician |
| Net Worth | NA |
Journey of the Smothers Brothers
The duo began their career together in 1959 after being a part of the folk group named Casual Quintet in San Francisco at the Club, The Purple Onion.
They released several successful albums together and remained in the top 40 of Mercury Records. Their most successful record was released in 1964, titled Curb Your Tongue, Knave! And their debut national television appearance was made through the show The Jack Paar Show in 1961.
The duo together also remained a part of the series The Judy Garland Show and Burke’s Law. They together began their own first television series, The Smothers Brothers Show, in 1965.
About the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
This series was a situation-based comedy series featured by the CBS network and produced by Four Star Television. Moreover, the show was written by multiple writers.
Pop singer Jennifer Warnes was also a part of the series and is seen regularly on the show. The very famous hit record Classical Gas also premiered on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour by the popular singer and guitarist Mason Williams.
The duo invited several musical artists to their show and helped them to promote their music over the platform. The series received immense love and appreciation from the viewers but also gained controversy at the same time.
The appearance of Pete Seeger and his performance of ‘Waist Deep in the Big Muddy’ was the beginning of the controversies over the show. The song consists of a metaphor that was relatable to the policy of the Vietnam War made by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
After that, the Smothers brothers found it difficult to resolve conflicts with the channel. There are numerous reasons behind the cancellation of the show, but the continuous conflicts with the network remained constant.
On April 4, 1969, the CEO and president of the channel canceled the contract with the Smothers brothers on the basis of a non-meeting of the pre-delivery dates as mentioned in the contract. The duo filed a contract of breach lawsuit against the CBS network.
After four years of litigation, the Smotherses won the case and received compensation of US$776,300. Later on, they came back with The Smother Brothers Show.
After the Cancellation of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Comedy Hour also won the Emmy Award in 1969 for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Variety, or Music after the cancellation of the show. Furthermore, they appeared in many television shows.
The duo worked together as well as independently after all these years. They have worked in movies, and series named I love my Wife, Cy Coleman’s, Michael Stewart Broadway, Benson, Rap Master Ronnie, The Aristocrats, and many more. From movies to documentaries, the duo portrayed great roles in their career.
On May 16, 2010, the Smothers Brothers announced their retirement after working immensely hard for 51 years of working in the entertainment industry.
Bottom Line
The Smothers brothers are seen very rarely now but are continuing to make appearances on stage. In 2022, the duo made appearances in several Theaters on the show titled Smothers Brothers returning to Livermore, The Smothers Brothers, Great American Comedy fest Returnswith Smothers Brothers, David Koechner, and The Smothers Brothers at Golden State Theatre 2022.
Summing up, the aforementioned information clearly mentions that Smothers Brothers are still alive and still continuing to make stage appearances for their fans.
