John Belushi Defends ‘The Blues Brothers’ Concept in Newly Surfaced Interview

In a 1979 interview shared for the first time as part of the Audible documentary, Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude, John Belushi responded to criticisms that the band was ripping off Black culture.

Soho Weekly News music critic Steve Bloom spoke with Belushi about the backlash.

“It’s just weird, you know?” Belushi said. “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. … 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.”

He 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.”

Bloom pointed out the cultural appropriation.

“You see, 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,” Bloom said.

“That’s not the purpose of the Blues Brothers,” Belushi countered. “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 added, “I’m not f—ing fantastic, but that’s not the point.”

Three years after the interview, Belushi died of an overdose at age 33.

Source: Particle News