Dick Smothers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dick Smothers
Smothers in 1966
Born	Richard Remick Smothers (1938-11-20) November 20, 1938 (age 86) New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	San Jose State University
Occupation	Actor comedian composer musician
Years active	1959–2010, 2019
Spouse(s)	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

Richard Remick Smothers (born November 20, 1938) is an American actor, comedian, composer, and musician. He is best known as one half of the folk-comedy duo called the Smothers Brothers. His older brother, Tom Smothers, was the other half of the duo.

The brothers started performing in the late 1950s. They combined traditional folk music with funny jokes and songs. Dick played the double bass and sang. They became famous across the country with their TV shows. These included The Smothers Brothers Show (1965–66) and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–69). Their comedy show was important because it talked about important topics of their time. Besides the duo, Dick Smothers also acted. He had a serious role as a dishonest state senator in the movie Casino (1995). He is known for his work in musical comedy and television history.

Early Life and Education

Dick Smothers was born in New York City in 1938. His mother was Ruth Remick, and his father was Thomas B. Smothers. His father was an Army officer who died in April 1945. He was a prisoner of war, which means he was captured by the enemy during a war. Dick's middle name, Remick, comes from his mother's family name.

After his family moved to Southern California, Dick went to high school. He attended Verdugo Hills High School and graduated from Redondo Union High School. Later, he went to San Jose State University. While there, he was a distance runner on the track team.

The Smothers Brothers Duo

The Smothers Brothers group started in the late 1950s. They appeared on many television shows. They even had two of their own shows. One was The Smothers Brothers Show, a sitcom that ran from 1965 to 1966. The other was The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, a variety show that started in 1967. This show was canceled by CBS in April 1969.

Dick (left) and Tom Smothers in August 1988

Even though Dick often helped Tom with funny but sometimes tricky topics, Dick was actually more traditional in his views than his older brother. Tom once said in 2006 that they still disagreed about everything.

In December 2009, Dick and Tom were guest stars on an episode of The Simpsons. This episode also featured famous football players Cooper, Peyton, and Eli Manning.

The Smothers Brothers announced they would stop touring in May 2010. However, in December 2022, they announced they would go on tour again in 2023. This tour was later canceled. Tom Smothers passed away on December 26, 2023, at the age of 86.

Other Projects

Dick Smothers also worked on other projects by himself. In 1977, he appeared on the TV game show Match Game. In 1993, he was a character in a cartoon Christmas movie called Precious Moments: Timmy's Special Delivery.

Without his brother Tom, Dick also acted in the 1995 film Casino. In this movie, he played a serious role as a dishonest state senator from Nevada. This role was different from his usual comedy work.

Smothers has also been active in amateur auto racing. He enjoyed both road racing and drag racing. He even started the Smothers Brothers racing team. This team won three championships between 1968 and 1971. He was good at endurance racing and drove cars in famous races like Sebring and Le Mans.

Personal Life

Dick Smothers is a father to six children. Their names are Dick Jr., Andrew, Steven, Sarah, Susan, and Remick. As of 2022, he lives in upstate New York. In September 2022, Smothers married Marie Navarolli Kropp.

Filmography

Racing Results

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

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