Dick Smothers | |
---|---|
Born | Richard Remick Smothers November 20, 1938 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Education | San Jose State University |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1959–2010, 2019 |
Spouses | Linda Miller (m. 1959;div. 1969) (m. 1972;div. 1984)Lorraine Martin (m. 1986;div. 1997)Denby Franklin (m. 1997;div. 2006)Marie Navaroli Kropp (m. 2022) |
Children | 6 |
Relatives | Tom Smothers (brother) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Folk |
Instruments | Vocals, bass |
Formerly of | |
Richard Remick Smothers (born November 20, 1938) is an American actor, comedian, composer, and musician. He was half of the musical comedy team the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom.
Smothers was born in New York City in 1938, [1] the son of Ruth (née Remick), a homemaker, and Thomas B. Smothers, an Army officer who died as a prisoner of war of the Japanese in April 1945. [2] His middle name, Remick, originates from his mother's maiden name.
After moving to Southern California, Dick attended Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California, and graduated from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, and later attended San Jose State University, then called San Jose State College. At SJSC, Smothers participated as a distance runner for the track team (coached by Lloyd (Bud) Winter). [3]
The Smothers Brothers formed in the late 1950s and appeared on numerous television shows, including two shows of their own: The Smothers Brothers Show , a sitcom from 1965 to 1966; and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , a variety show in 1967. The show was cancelled by CBS on April 4, 1969. After filing a lawsuit, the Smothers were given $776,300. [4] Though he often aided Tom with various subjects which were deemed controversial, Dick was in reality "more conservative politically" than his older brother was, with Tom stating in 2006, "We still disagree about everything." [5]
In December 2009, Dick and Tom both guest-starred in a 21st-season episode of The Simpsons that also featured Cooper, Peyton, and Eli Manning. [6]
The Smothers Brothers both announced their retirement from touring in May 2010. On the December 11, 2022, episode of CBS News Sunday Morning , the brothers announced that they would be going on tour in 2023. [7] However, the tour was cancelled and Tom Smothers announced in July 2023 that he was diagnosed with stage 2 lung cancer. [8] He died on December 26, 2023, at the age of 86. [9] [10]
In 1977, he appeared twice as a panelist on the daytime TV game show Match Game . In 1993, he played one of the characters on cartoon Christmas movie Precious Moments: Timmy's Special Delivery. Without Tom, he also appeared in the 1995 Martin Scorsese-directed film Casino in an uncharacteristically serious role as a dishonest Nevada State Senator. His character and the dialogue in one scene were partly based on the career of former United States Senator Harry Reid, who once chaired the Nevada Gaming Commission. [11]
Smothers has been active in amateur automobile racing, [12] both road racing [13] and drag racing. [14] He started the Smothers Brothers racing team, which competed in three championship seasons between 1968 and 1971; he specialized in endurance racing and drove cars at the famous Sebring and Le Mans events. [15]
In a 2006 interview with the Vancouver-based Comedy Couch, Tom Smothers stated that he and his brother actually "disagree about everything" and that while he was "a little bit looser," Dick was "more conservative politically and also is a pragmatist. He's very pragmatic and wants everything to line up and put in a box." [5]
In February 2010, Smothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. [16] In May, he and his brother announced their retirement from touring. [17]
He is the father of six children: Dick Jr., Andrew, Steven, Sarah, Susan, and Remick. [18] He currently resides in upstate New York. In September 2022, Smothers married Marie Navarolli Kropp. [19]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1966 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Tweedledee | |
1989 | Speed Zone | Nelson van Sloan | |
1995 | Casino | Senator Harrison Roberts | |
1997 | The Debtors | ||
2009 | The Informant! | Judge Harold Baker |
Year | Team | Co-Driver(s) | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 | John Greenwood Racing | John Greenwood | Chevrolet Corvette C3 | GTS +5.0 | 53 | DNF | DNF |
The Smothers Brothers was a duo of American folk singers, musicians, and comedians consisting of siblings Tom and Dick Smothers. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs, which usually led to arguments between them. Tommy's signature line was "Mom always liked you best!" Tommy acted "slow" and Dick, the straight man, acted "superior".
Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, widely known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. In the 1960s they were known for their network comedy and variety shows, The Smothers Brothers Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
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The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.
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The Smothers Brothers Show is an American fantasy sitcom featuring the Smothers Brothers that aired on CBS on Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. ET from September 17, 1965, to April 22, 1966, co-sponsored by Alberto-Culver's VO5 hairdressing products and American Tobacco's Tareyton cigarettes. It was the first television show to feature the Smothers Brothers as regulars, following a series of night club and guest appearances. It lasted one season, consisting of 32 episodes.
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Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is a 1968 comedy album released on Mercury Records by the Smothers Brothers consisting of bits from their CBS television series, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. As a result, much of the album consists of political humor, which was absent from their previous recording efforts but remained true to their television show's content. It reached number 164 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
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