Remembering Tommy Smothers - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

stevearino · 12-27-2023, 02:52 PM

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...uo-1235775301/

Tommy Smothers, the elder half of the musical comedy duo The Smothers Brothers, has died at age 86 after a year-long battle with Lung Cancer.

Tommy died on December 26, 2023 at his home in Santa Rosa, California.

Born on February 2, 1937 in New York City, New York, Thomas Bolyn "Tommy" Smothers was the elder of 2 boys born on Governor's Island in New York City to Ruth Remick Smothers and her husband, Tom, who during World War II would die of Pneumonia en route to a Japanese Prisoner of War camp, making her suddenly a single mother of 2 boys--including a younger boy, Richard Remick "Dickie" Smothers, who was born on November 20, 1938 in New York City, New York.

The Smothers Brothers would, soon after Dickie was born, grow up in Altadena, California, a small town near Pasadena, and eventually graduate from Redondo Beach High School in 1955 and 1957, respectively; according to the book "Dangerously Funny" by author David Bianculli, Dickie was involved in a freak accident as a toddler where he was ejected accidentally by a moving car--and has since been completely deaf in his left ear, hence why when The Smothers Brothers performed together, Tommy would perform on Dickie's right so Dickie could hear on his good ear when they performed.

Between 1961 and 1966, The Smothers Brothers made 9 musical comedy albums together PLUS a soundtrack album to their variety show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," which aired on CBS from 1967-1969 until their abrupt firing due to their political satire after making fun of the clergy.

In 1965, Aaron Spelling (yes, HIM) created a sitcom vehicle for them called "The Smothers Brothers Show," with Tommy cast as Dickie's guardian angel, Tommy's character having previously Drowned 2 years earlier at sea--a sitcom format lasting 1 season airing on CBS from 1965-1966 and later airing on Sunday nights in reruns on Nickelodeon from May 4, 1986 - May 1, 1988.

After the end of their variety show, in the ensuing years, until their 2010 Retirement, The Smothers Brothers continued touring--and combined, they were the proud parents of 9 grown children--including Tommy's son, Tommy Smothers, Jr., from his first marriage and Dickie's son, Dickie, Jr., who grew up to be a Porn star, and was the eldest of Dickie's 3 grown children with first ex-wife Linda Miller. Dickie also had 2 younger grown children with ex-wife Lorraine (now married to former FOX Newsman Chris Wallace) and a younger son, Andrew, from a brief affair. In 2022, Dickie got married for the 4th time to Marie Navarroli Kropp, a widow originally from Niagara Falls, New York, with whom Dickie lives in Sarasota, Florida--his residence since the late 1990s.

RIP Tommy Smothers, and Entertain the Afterlife in Heaven!

02/02/1937 - 12/26/2023

12-27-2023, 02:52 PM	#1
stevearino Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 15, 2017 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 249	Remembering Tommy Smothers https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...uo-1235775301/ Tommy Smothers, the elder half of the musical comedy duo The Smothers Brothers, has died at age 86 after a year-long battle with Lung Cancer. Tommy died on December 26, 2023 at his home in Santa Rosa, California. Born on February 2, 1937 in New York City, New York, Thomas Bolyn "Tommy" Smothers was the elder of 2 boys born on Governor's Island in New York City to Ruth Remick Smothers and her husband, Tom, who during World War II would die of Pneumonia en route to a Japanese Prisoner of War camp, making her suddenly a single mother of 2 boys--including a younger boy, Richard Remick "Dickie" Smothers, who was born on November 20, 1938 in New York City, New York. The Smothers Brothers would, soon after Dickie was born, grow up in Altadena, California, a small town near Pasadena, and eventually graduate from Redondo Beach High School in 1955 and 1957, respectively; according to the book "Dangerously Funny" by author David Bianculli, Dickie was involved in a freak accident as a toddler where he was ejected accidentally by a moving car--and has since been completely deaf in his left ear, hence why when The Smothers Brothers performed together, Tommy would perform on Dickie's right so Dickie could hear on his good ear when they performed. Between 1961 and 1966, The Smothers Brothers made 9 musical comedy albums together PLUS a soundtrack album to their variety show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," which aired on CBS from 1967-1969 until their abrupt firing due to their political satire after making fun of the clergy. In 1965, Aaron Spelling (yes, HIM) created a sitcom vehicle for them called "The Smothers Brothers Show," with Tommy cast as Dickie's guardian angel, Tommy's character having previously Drowned 2 years earlier at sea--a sitcom format lasting 1 season airing on CBS from 1965-1966 and later airing on Sunday nights in reruns on Nickelodeon from May 4, 1986 - May 1, 1988. After the end of their variety show, in the ensuing years, until their 2010 Retirement, The Smothers Brothers continued touring--and combined, they were the proud parents of 9 grown children--including Tommy's son, Tommy Smothers, Jr., from his first marriage and Dickie's son, Dickie, Jr., who grew up to be a Porn star, and was the eldest of Dickie's 3 grown children with first ex-wife Linda Miller. Dickie also had 2 younger grown children with ex-wife Lorraine (now married to former FOX Newsman Chris Wallace) and a younger son, Andrew, from a brief affair. In 2022, Dickie got married for the 4th time to Marie Navarroli Kropp, a widow originally from Niagara Falls, New York, with whom Dickie lives in Sarasota, Florida--his residence since the late 1990s. RIP Tommy Smothers, and Entertain the Afterlife in Heaven! 02/02/1937 - 12/26/2023