Smothers Brothers

“The Smothers Brothers are Thomas (‘Tom’ – born February 2, 1937) and Richard (‘Dick’ – born November 20, 1939), American singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers’ trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic guitar, Dick on string bass), which usually led to arguments between the siblings. Tommy’s signature line was, ‘Mom always liked you best!’ Tommy (the elder of the two) acted ‘slow’, and Dick, the straight man, acted ‘superior’. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the brothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage performances. Their own television variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, became one of the most controversial American TV programs of the Vietnam War era. Despite popular success, the brothers’ penchant for material that was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture led to their firing by the CBS network in 1969. One show was left unaired. The brothers continued to work, both independently and as a team, on stage and television, and in films during subsequent decades. … The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour started out as only a slightly ‘hip’ version of the typical comedy-variety show of its era, but rapidly evolved into a show that extended the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire. … The series showcased new musical artists that other comedy-variety shows rarely gave airtime, due to the nature of their music or their political affiliations. George Harrison, Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield, Cass Elliot, Harry Belafonte, Cream, Donovan, The Doors, Glen Campbell, Janis Ian, Jefferson Airplane, The Happenings, Peter, Paul and Mary, Spanky and Our Gang, Ringo Starr, Steppenwolf, Simon and Garfunkel, The Hollies, The Who and even Pete Seeger were showcased on the show, despite the advertiser-sensitive nature of their music. Seeger’s appearance was his first appearance on network television since being blacklisted in the 1950s; it became controversial because of his song choice: ‘Waist Deep in the Big Muddy‘, an anti-war song that the network considered to be an insult to President Lyndon Johnson and his Vietnam War policy. The song was censored on Seeger’s first appearance but permitted on a later appearance. …”
Wikipedia
NY Times – The Smothers Brothers: Laughing at Hard Truths (Video)
YouTube: The Smothers Brothers – I Talk To The Trees / Dance, Boatman, Dance (The Judy Garland Show), Cabbage 1963

Smothers Brothers, Pete Seeger