He died “following a recent battle with cancer,” a spokesman for the National Comedy Center announced on behalf of the family. The Smothers Brothers made their way to network television as a folk act with a difference. With Tom playing guitar and Dick playing stand-up bass, they spent as much time bickering as singing. With an innocent expression and a stammering delivery, Tom would try to introduce their songs with a story, only to be picked at by his skeptical brother. As frustration mounted, he would turn, seething, and often deliver a trademark non sequitur: “Mom always liked you best.”

Source: New York Times December 27, 2023 19:12 UTC