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| Hummingbird Smothers Brothers in Concert 1988 |
| Exhibit #3002 |
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| Type | Special Release |
| Shape | Standard (-) |
| Axle | Fixed |
| Packaging | Display Boxed |
| Construction | Three piece wood |
| Response | None |
| Gap | Fixed |
| Condition | Mint |
| Date | 1988 |
| Owner | Rick Brough |
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A standard classic Hummingbird hardrock maple yo-yo, standard shape, stamped in dark brown with "Smothers Brothers in Concert 1988". A silouette of the Smothers Brothers is enclosed within a circle. Hard to find.
Compare also with Yo-Yo Man, v. 1 and Yo-Yo Man, v. 2.
This yo-yo commemorates The Smothers Brothers concert tour in 1988. To augment their act, "Yo-Yo Man" became part of their shows. Tom Smothers had created the mostly non-speaking character in the late '60s, a comedic performer of tricks using a yo-yo. The term "Yo-Yo Man" is registered in his name. In their 2008 tour, Yo-Yo Man was listed as the group's opening act.
Original retail price: $10 US.
In 1992, Salt Lake's Dale Myrberg went backstage at Las Vegas' Golden Nugget to see his friend, Tommy Smothers, the comedian, who has the term "Yo-Yo Man" registered in his name. Smothers was entertaining some kids by doing yo-yo tricks. When he saw Myrberg, he stopped in his tracks and asked him to take over. "Then," says Myrberg, "I heard this voice saying, 'Oh, look, there's the REAL Yo-Yo Man.' "It was Smothers' wife, Marci. That meant a lot to Myrberg, which is why he will sometimes sign an autograph as "the REAL Yo-Yo Man." But he has no intention of challenging the "Yo-Yo Man" title taken by Tom Smothers, because Smothers is his benefactor. Myrberg became nationally known in 1988 and 1989 when he appeared as a guest on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS Television. When asked how good Smothers is with the Yo-Yo, Myrberg smiles and says confidently, "On a 10 scale, Tom is 5 and I'm an 18." Myrberg considers Smothers "a class comedian," but says he doesn't do "the fancy two-handed stuff.*
* Lythgoe, Dennis (4 November 1994). "The Real Yo-Yo Man's a S.L. Man". DeseretNews.com. Last retrieved 21 October 2018.
Tom Smothers died of cancer December 27, 2023 at the age of 86.
The same silhouette image used on this yo-yo was also used on the Smothers Brothers yo-yo patch.
See also the Tom Kuhn "Smo-Bro" yo-yo by clicking "Close-up" in the exhibit. | |
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