Complex sentence: Moe then asked his older brother Shemp to take Curly's place but Shemp was hesitant to rejoin the Stooges, as he was enjoying a successful solo career at the time of Curly's stroke.
Split into simpler sentences: Moe then asked his older brother Shemp to take Curly's place. But Shemp was hesitant to rejoin the Stooges, as he was enjoying a successful solo career at the time of Curly's stroke.