Is deaf in one ear as a result of an injury sustained after falling out of a car as a young child
Began performing with his brother Tom Smothers while they attended San Jose State University
Planned on becoming an elementary-school teacher before making it big in the entertainment industry
Made his first national-television appearance on The Jack Paar Show in 1961
In 1967, began costarring in the CBS variety show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which ran for three seasons; the cancellation of the show is the subject of the 2002 documentary film Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Took up amateur automobile racing in 1967 after enrolling in the Jim Russell Driving School in California
Purchased land in 1977 to create the Remick Ridge Vineyards, a California-based winery that is now owned and operated by Tom Smothers; the vineyards appeared in an episode of Seinfeld
In 2003, received a honorary doctorate from San Jose State University
Awards
1988Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program:nominated
1969Emmy-Outstanding Variety or Musical Series:nominated