Tom Smothers, half the comedy and music duo Smothers Brothers, dies at 86

Tom Smothers, half of the legendary Smothers Brothers comedy duo, died at 86 on Dec. 26, his family said.

Dick Smothers, his brother and co-star on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," said Tom Smothers died at his home surrounded by family, according to a news release on Dec. 27 by the National Comedy Center. He died "following a recent battle with cancer," according to the release.

“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner," Dick Smothers said in a statement. "I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”

The two used their hit show, which ran from 1967-69, to critique racism, the Vietnam War and censorship, while supporting civil rights.

"Tom was a true pioneer who changed the face of television and transformed our culture with 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' which satirized politics, combated racism, protested the Vietnam War, and led the way for 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Daily Show,' today’s network late night shows, and so much more," Journey Gunderson, the executive director of the National Comedy Center, said in a statement.

Tom Smothers is survived by his children Bo and Riley Rose Smothers, grandson Phoenix, Marcy Carriker Smothers, sister-in-law Marie Smothers and several nephews and a niece, according to the National Comedy Center. He is predeceased by his son Tom and sister Sherry Smothers.

A private memorial for family and friends will take place in 2024, according to the National Comedy Center.

The Smothers Brothers reunited on stage at the New York-based National Comedy Center in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of famously being fired by CBS in 1969 due to political pressure over their stance against the Vietnam War. “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” often made fun of powerful political figures while amplifying the critics of the war.

“It’s really an honor to be honored in this way,” Tom Smothers told The Associated Press before the event. “At least we’re both alive and not having someone speak for us. We can mumble our own way through.”

The brothers won a breach of contract lawsuit against CBS and were awarded $775,000 in the wake of their firing, according to The Associated Press.

“We had such a minor payment dollar-wise, but that wasn’t the point,” Tom Smothers told The Associated Press. “We had to do it.”

The brothers began performing together professionally in 1959 after growing up in Southern California and attending San Jose State University.

Their act incorporated music and parody songs, with Tom on acoustic guitar and Dick on stand-up bass, making their first national television appearance on the "Tonight Show" with Jack Paar in the early 1960s, according to the National Comedy Center.

The duo produced 12 albums during their careers and won an Emmy Award in 1968 for Outstanding Musical or Variety Series. Tom Smothers was also given an individual Emmy in 2008 for his contributions to television history.

Following their firing in 1969, they returned for a televised special in 1970 and revived a version of the show in the late 1980s, according to The Associated Press. The National Comedy Center reports that they toured live for three decades at theaters across the country.

The brothers retired from performing publicly in 2010, according to the National Comedy Center.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com