John Belushi Defends ‘Blues Brothers,’ Refutes Critics in 1979 Interview

A never-before-heard 1979 interview with John Belushi conducted by music critic Steve Bloom of the Soho Weekly News has been released for the first time. This interview is part of the Audible audio documentary “Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude.” This interview took place three years before Belushi’s untimely death in 1982 and captures him defending The Blues Brothers against critics.

The Blues Brothers, a musical duo formed by Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in 1978, gained significant popularity from their recurring sketches on “Saturday Night Live” and the 1980 film, “The Blues Brothers.” During the interview, Bloom read Belushi headlines from articles that critiqued The Blues Brothers as exploitative, suggesting that two white men were capitalizing on a genre deeply rooted in African-American history and led by Black artists.

In response, Belushi expressed his confusion and frustration. “It’s just weird, you know?” he remarked about the criticisms. “Why would I do these things? The people watching me understand why I do it, and the band members do. The other people — there’s a certain amount of jealousy, I think, involved.”

He emphasized that his motivations were not driven by ego, money, or a need for audience approval. “Why do I do what I do? First of all, it has nothing to do with ego, it has nothing to do with money, you know, or the need to be loved by an audience. I don’t have any of those feelings.”

Clearly irked, Belushi continued, “What the f*** do these people think I am, anyway? I can’t f***ing understand why they would attack — see, when they attack me, they attack the band, and I hate when they attack the band because then it makes them look like schmucks for doing what they did for me.”

Belushi’s indignation stemmed from the fact that The Blues Brothers often included Black musicians in their band, despite being headlined by two white men. Bloom noted that most critics targeted Belushi because “there’s a long line of cases where white musicians play Black music and make money while the Black musicians don’t make the money, supposedly.”

Belushi countered vigorously, asserting that the purpose of The Blues Brothers was to celebrate the genre. “That’s not the purpose of the Blues Brothers!” he refuted. “I say on the record, ‘Buy as many blues records as you can.’ [I] introduce my band, which is never done. I share the stage with each member of the group, which is never done. I have Danny Aykroyd, you know, we all split everything right down the middle. I give the people, artists, parts of the album. I’m putting them in a movie, you know? Nobody believes me!”

He concluded emphatically, “I’m not f***ing fantastic, but that’s not the point!”

“Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude” premieres exclusively on Audible on July 25, coinciding with nearly 50 years since their earliest appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 1976. Narrated by Aykroyd, the documentary includes commentary from several collaborators who contributed to the band and the films.

Source: Entertainment Weekly