RIP Tommy Smothers (half of the Smothers Brothers) at 86

[Astronuc]

Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86​

https://abc7.com/tom-smothers-smother-brothers-comedy-hour-obituary/14229873/

Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.

The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.

 

[phinds]

I absolutely loved the Smothers Brothers and their offbeat brand of humor.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/27/entertainment/tom-smothers-death/index.html

 

[pinball1970]

I never saw them on UK TV, I was made aware of them via US culture documentary and they featured.

I had never heard of this incident.

"The performance by The Who in 1967 was another defining moment in the series. As the group often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance of "My Generation", with the usual addition of mild explosives for light pyrotechnic effect. The piece ended with guitarist Pete Townshend grabbing Tommy's guitar and smashing it. On the Smothers Brothers show that night a small amount of explosive was put into the small cannon that Keith Moon kept in his bass drum. But it did not go off during the rehearsal. Unbeknownst to Moon, a stage hand had added another explosive before the taping, and later Moon added another charge so that now there were three explosive charges in the cannon instead of one.[14] When Moon detonated it, the explosion was so intense that a piece of cymbal shrapnel cut into Moon's arm; Moon is heard moaning in pain toward the end of the piece. Townshend, who had been in front of Moon's drums at the time, had his hair singed by the blast; he is seen putting out sparks in his hair before finishing the sketch with a visibly shocked Tommy Smothers. The blast contributed heavily to Townshend's long-term hearing loss."