The Smothers Brothers—zany, liberal, spur-of-the-moment comedians —performed at Central Michigan University in March 2006 for the Michigan Story Festival Fundraiser.

 “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” which featured folk-singing, comic brothers Tom and Dick Smothers, premiered on CBS in February 1967. The EMMY award winning show was known for its notable musical guests, satiric songs and tackling of sensitive political and religious topics. This edgy tone prompted the cancellation of the show in February 1969 and brought to the forefront the subject of network censorship. 

 “The most memorable censorship event was when CBS cut out Pete Seeger’s singing of ‘Knee Deep in the Big Muddy’ because a reference in the song to ‘the big fool’ could easily have been construed to be about President Lyndon Johnson,” said Mark Poindexter,

a faculty member in CMU’s  School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts. “Several people remember the censoring of the show by CBS — and the hosts’ continuing comments about it.” 

The storyteller brothers continuously integrate music into their shows. One brother plays string bass and the other plays acoustic guitar. This was the first trip the Smothers Brothers made to CMU.  Show attendees were able to see how the brothers continuously combine humor, music and storytelling into their performance.