John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd aren’t topnotch singers and musicians by any means, but their charisma and passion for blues music was palpable and genuine. Who would have thought that two comedians from Saturday Night Live would not only play their own music on live sketches but would start a legendary blues band that made a huge impact on the music industry? The biggest reason why the Blues Brothers weren’t a joke was because of the amount of musical talent that backed these comedians as the band was composed of well-known musicians.
Blues Brothers 2000, Dan Aykroyd, J Evan Bonifant, John Goodman. Photo By Moviestore Collection/Shutterstock
Belushi and Aykroyd’s act was always split between comedy and music. The origin of the brothers was from a 1976 SNL performance where the two comedians dressed up in bee costumes to sing Slim Harpo’s song, “I’m a King Bee.” Two years later, the band released their first album. By the time the comedy film The Blues Brothers came out in 1980, the legend was already in the making.
This is a deep dive into the making of the band and what really went on behind the scenes of the movie (which is like a movie in itself!)