The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special on PBS

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special on PBS was a groundbreaking show that featured some of the biggest names in folk music.

The Smothers Brothers

The Smothers Brothers were a popular American folk music duo in the 1960s. They appeared on a special on PBS in 1965 which featured some of their most popular songs.

Their work in the early days of television

The Smothers Brothers first gained attention as a folk music duo in the early days of television. Their work in television led to a successful career in comedy, culminating in their own self-titled variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The show was known for its edgy political satire, which often got the brothers into trouble with network censors. Despite the censorship problems, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings success and won several Emmy Awards.

Their comedy act

The Smothers Brothers are an American comedy duo consisting of brothers Tom Smothers and Dick Smothers. They have performed together since 1955, at first on television and radio and later in stage shows, films, and television specials.

The brothers appeared on The Steve Allen Show in February 1963, doing a musical comedy routine. They soon landed their own half-hour sitcom on CBS, The Smothers Brothers Show (1965–66), which was cancelled due to poor ratings and the network’s fear of the brothers’ political satire. Undaunted, they continued performing their comedy act and signed with Mercury Records, releasing several successful albums. The brothers’ final show before their ten-year hiatus was broadcast on May 3, 1969.

Their work in the music industry

The Smothers Brothers are an American folk rock duo from New York City, New York. The group consisted of Thomas “Tom” Smothers III (born February 2, 1937) and Richard “Dick” Smothers (born November 30, 1939). The brothers have appeared in numerous television shows, films, and comedy albums. They are best known for their work in the music industry, including their early work with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, their work on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS, and their chart-topping single “Moments to Remember (1967)”.

The Folk Music Special

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special on PBS was a one-hour concert that featured folk music artists such as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Bob Dylan. The special aired on December 12, 1963 and was hosted by the Smothers Brothers.

What it was

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special was a one-hour concert that aired on PBS on December 12, 1968. The concert featured various folk artists, including Judy Collins, Ralph Rinzler, Peggy Seeger, and Pete Seeger.

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special aired on PBS on January 13, 1974. It was a two-hour concert featuring some of the most popular folk musicians of the day, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and John Prine. The special was filmed in New York City and featured performances by each of the artists as well as interviews with the Smothers Brothers.

Its impact on the music industry

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special was a watershed event in both television and music history. It was the first time that folk music had been presented on television in such a polished and professional manner, and it helped to bring the genre to a wider audience.

The special featured some of the biggest names in folk music at the time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and The Kingston Trio. It was also notable for its political commentary, as many of the songs performed were about social issues such as racism, war, and poverty. The special was a major success, both commercially and critically, and it paved the way for future folk music specials on television.

The Folk Music Special helped to boost the careers of many of the performers who took part in it. Bob Dylan, in particular, saw his popularity skyrocket after his appearance on the show. The special also brought attention to the genre of folk music as a whole, and helped to make it more popular with mainstream audiences.

PBS

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special on PBS was a one-hour televised concert that featured a mix of traditional and contemporary folk music performers. The concert was taped in front of a live audience at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on March 15, 1968. It aired on PBS on April 6, 1968.

Its early days

It all started in 1966 when the Smothers Brothers were working on their own variety show for CBS. Tom had recently become interested in folk music, and the brothers decided to include some folk music acts on their show. They invited Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and The Weavers to appear on the show, and the response from viewers was so positive that they decided to do a whole show devoted to folk music.

The Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special aired on PBS in 1967 and featured performances by some of the most popular folk musicians of the time, including Baez, Seeger, The Weavers, Odetta, Peter Paul and Mary, and many others. The special was so successful that PBS decided to air it again in 1968.

TheSmothers Brothers Folk Music Special was one of the first mainstream television programs to showcase folk music, and it played a crucial role in popularizing the genre. Thanks to the success of the special, folk music became more mainstream and more widely accepted by the general public.

Its mission

PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation whose stated mission is to “create content that educates, informs, entertains and inspires.” PBS provides programming that covers a wide range of topics including art, science, history, drama and news. It is funded primarily through grants from the U.S. government, as well as donations from corporations, foundations and individual citizens.

PBS was established in 1969 by American broadcast veteran Edward R. Murrow. Its first broadcast was a live concert by folk singer Joan Baez. Since then, PBS has produced or distributed a wide variety of programming, including the children’s series Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the news programs The PBS NewsHour and Frontline, and the dramatic series Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

Its work with the Smothers Brothers

PBS had its start with the Smothers Brothers Folk Music Special on PBS in December of 1965. The work with the Smothers Brothers was a way to bring folk music to a wider audience and to promote understanding and appreciation of the music. The folk music scene was growing in popularity at the time, and the Smothers Brothers were able to reach a large audience through their television show. PBS continued to work with the Smothers Brothers after the success of the Folk Music Special, and the two organizations worked together for several years.

Similar Posts