John Belushi

Although primarily recognized for his work in television and film, John Belushi achieved notable late-career success as half of the blues-revival duo the Blues Brothers. Born January 24, 1949, and raised in Illinois, he displayed early talent for performance, appearing in numerous high-school and college productions before joining Chicago’s renowned Second City Comedy Troupe in 1971. One of his standout routines featured an uncannily accurate vocal and physical impersonation of Joe Cocker. By 1972 the growing attention surrounding his abilities led to roles with National Lampoon’s Lemmings and its syndicated Radio Hour, where he formed a lasting friendship with fellow performer Dan Aykroyd. While with the troupe, Belushi contributed to several comedy recordings, among them the 1973 album Lemmings, 1974’s Stereo Test and Demonstration, and 1975’s Gold Turkey.

The pair soon attracted the notice of producer Lorne Michaels, then assembling the cast for a new late-night program, Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd joined an ensemble that also featured Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray, who took Chase’s place beginning in the second season, as the series propelled the performers to national prominence. In the program’s early days the two appeared before the studio audience as an impromptu blues-and-R&B warm-up act, accompanied by the show’s house band. The routine evolved into regular on-air segments in which they adopted the personas of Jake Blues (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), clad in black suits and dark glasses and supported by a roster of seasoned musicians that included Booker T. & the M.G.’s guitarist Steve “the Colonel” Cropper and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn.

Belushi’s profile rose still higher in 1978 when he portrayed the raucous Bluto in the hit comedy Animal House. At the moment the film topped the box-office charts, Saturday Night Live held the top television rating and the Blues Brothers’ debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, reached number one on the Billboard album survey. The sudden intensity of fame prompted Belushi to rely on cocaine. He departed Saturday Night Live in 1980, the same year the duo released its second album, Made in America, and starred in the cult comedy film The Blues Brothers, which featured guest performances by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles.

Returning to conventional acting parts, Belushi also embraced the emerging punk scene, playing drums at a benefit for Dead Boys drummer Bobby Blitz at New York’s CBGB and cultivating friendships with Los Angeles punk bands such as Fear, even securing the group an appearance on Saturday Night Live. One of his planned film projects centered on the punk milieu, yet on March 5, 1982, at age 33, he was discovered dead from an accidental drug overdose.