The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band which was founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live….as Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band….respectively in character as lead vocalist “Joliet” Jake Blues and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues. The band was composed of well-known and respected musicians….and debuted as the musical guest on the April 22, 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live, opening the show performing “Soul Man”….and later “Hey Bartender”.
The band took on a life beyond the confines of television by releasing an album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in November of 1978….while opening for the Grateful Dead on December 31st, 1978 at the closing of Winterland Arena in San Francisco….and spawning a Hollywood comedy film in 1980, The Blues Brothers….which was a box office smash hit. After the death of Belushi in 1982, the Blues Brothers continued to perform with a rotation of guest singers and other band members. The band reformed in 1988 for a world tour and again in 1998 for a sequel film, Blues Brothers 2000…..but none of this could ever replicate the talents of Jake and Elwood…..who became blues and soul music cult heroes.
Simply put, there never has been before…..and most certainly never will be again….any band that compared to the combined comedic and musical talents of The Blues Brothers….as we consider each and every piece of footage that we have of Jake and Elwood Blues to be “pure gold” in our treasure chest of vintage memories.
