John Belushi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Belushi
|
|
|---|---|
Belushi in 1976
|
|
| Born |
John Adam Belushi
January 24, 1949 |
| Died | March 5, 1982 (aged 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Education | College of DuPage University of Wisconsin, Whitewater |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1972–1982 |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) |
Judith Jacklin
(m. 1976) |
| Relatives |
|
| Awards | Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium |
|
| Genres |
|
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was a famous American comedian, actor, and musician. He was one of the first cast members on the popular TV show Saturday Night Live. Many people thought he was the most popular person on the show.
John Belushi worked closely with his friend Dan Aykroyd. They first met at a comedy club in Chicago called The Second City. They stayed friends and worked together on Saturday Night Live.
Belushi was born in Chicago to parents from Albania. He started his own comedy group called "The West Compass Trio." Later, he joined The Second City, where he met Dan Aykroyd and other future stars. In 1975, he joined Saturday Night Live after an audition. He became famous for playing many funny characters, like Henry Kissinger and Ludwig van Beethoven.
John Belushi also starred in several movies. These include National Lampoon's Animal House, 1941, The Blues Brothers, and Neighbors. He also loved music. With Aykroyd and other musicians, he started the band The Blues Brothers. This band later became the subject of a movie. John Belushi passed away at the age of 33. In 2004, he received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Adam Belushi was born in Humboldt Park, Chicago. His mother, Agnes Demetri, was a pharmacy worker. She was born in Ohio to Albanian immigrants. His father, Adam Anastos Belushi, was an Albanian immigrant. He owned a restaurant in Chicago.
John grew up in Wheaton with his three younger siblings. These were his brothers Billy and Jim, and his sister Marian. His family was Eastern Orthodox Christian. He went to the Albanian Orthodox Church. He attended Wheaton Central High School. There, he met his future wife, Judith Jacklin.
In 1965, Belushi formed a band called the Ravens. He played drums and sang. They recorded one song, but it was not very successful. The band broke up when he went to college. He studied at the College of DuPage. He also spent a year at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. This college inspired a scene in his movie Animal House.
Comedy Career
Starting in Comedy
John Belushi started his own comedy group in Chicago. It was called the West Compass Trio. Their funny shows caught the eye of Bernard Sahlins. He was the founder of The Second City comedy club. Sahlins asked Belushi to join his cast. At Second City, Belushi met and worked with Harold Ramis and Brian Doyle-Murray.
In 1972, Belushi got a role in National Lampoon Lemmings. This was a comedy show that made fun of the Woodstock music festival. Belushi and Judith Jacklin moved to New York City. There, Belushi worked as a writer, director, and actor. He joined The National Lampoon Radio Hour. This was a comedy radio show. Other cast members included Bill Murray and Gilda Radner.
In 1974, Belushi met Dan Aykroyd in Toronto. Jacklin became a producer for the radio show. She and Belushi got married on December 31, 1976.
Saturday Night Live Success
In 1975, Lorne Michaels was creating a new TV show for NBC. It was first called NBC's Saturday Night, then Saturday Night Live. Other comedians suggested Belushi for the show. Michaels was not sure at first. He thought Belushi's physical comedy might not fit. But after an audition, Michaels changed his mind. Belushi appeared in the very first sketch on October 11, 1975.
During his four years on Saturday Night Live, Belushi created many popular characters. These included the angry Saturday Night Live Samurai. He also played Henry Kissinger and Ludwig van Beethoven. Another famous character was Pete Dionisopoulos, the Greek owner of the Olympia Café. He also made people laugh on Weekend Update. He often said his famous catchphrase, "But N-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!"
With Dan Aykroyd, Belushi created the Blues Brothers. These characters were first meant to entertain the audience before the show. But they became so popular that they performed as musical guests. Belushi also sang like Joe Cocker. In 1976, Joe Cocker himself joined Belushi to sing "Feelin' Alright?" together.
In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked all 141 Saturday Night Live cast members. John Belushi received the top spot. They wrote that Belushi was "the 'live' in Saturday Night Live." He made the show exciting and unpredictable.
Film Career Highlights
From Animal House to The Blues Brothers
In 1978, John Belushi starred in three movies. These were Old Boyfriends, Goin' South, and National Lampoon's Animal House. Animal House was a huge success. Critics like Roger Ebert called it one of the best movies of the year. It cost $2.8 million to make. But it earned over $141 million, making it one of the most profitable movies ever. The film was written by Doug Kenney and Harold Ramis. It was a funny and rebellious movie.
After the success of the Blues Brothers on Saturday Night Live, Belushi and Aykroyd formed a real band. They brought in talented musicians like Lou Marini, Tom Malone, Steve Cropper, and Donald "Duck" Dunn. In 1978, the Blues Brothers released their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues. It became a number one album and sold millions of copies.
In 1979, Belushi and Aykroyd left Saturday Night Live. They went to film The Blues Brothers movie. This movie came out in 1980. It earned $115.2 million worldwide. The Blues Brothers band also went on tour to promote the movie. They released another album called Made in America.
Later Films
Belushi made one film without Aykroyd after leaving Saturday Night Live. It was a romantic comedy called Continental Divide. It came out in 1981. Belushi played a writer from Chicago named Ernie Souchack. He goes to the Rocky Mountains to research a scientist who studies birds.
By 1981, Belushi became a fan of the punk rock band Fear. He brought them to a studio to record songs for the soundtrack of his movie Neighbors. Belushi also helped Fear perform on Saturday Night Live on October 31, 1981. This performance was famous for its energetic dancing.
Before he passed away, Belushi was working on new movie projects. He was planning a film called Moon Over Miami. He also talked about producing a film. Belushi made a special guest appearance on the TV show Police Squad! in 1982. The show had a running joke where the guest star would die right away. Belushi passed away shortly before his episode aired. So, his scene was removed and replaced.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle | Craig Baker | English version, Voice |
| 1978 | Animal House | John Blutarsky | |
| Goin' South | Deputy Hector | ||
| 1979 | Old Boyfriends | Eric Katz | |
| 1941 | Captain Bill "Wild Bill" Kelso | ||
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Jake "Joliet Jake" Blues | |
| 1981 | Continental Divide | Ernie Souchak | |
| Neighbors | Earl Keese | (final film role) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1980 | Saturday Night Live | Various Roles | 79 episodes; also writer |
| 1976 | The Beach Boys: It's OK | Cop #2 | TV movie; also writer |
| 1978 | The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash | Ron Decline | TV movie |
Other Performances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | National Lampoon Lemmings | Stage |
| 1973–1974 | The National Lampoon Radio Hour | Radio, also Creative Director |
| 1975 | The National Lampoon Show | Stage |
Discography
- Listen to Me Now/Jolly Green Giant (Alonas Dream Records, 1965) (with the Ravens)
- National Lampoon's Lemmings (Blue Thumb Records, 1973) (bass guitar, lead vocals on Lonely At The Bottom)
- Old Boyfriends: Original Soundtrack (Columbia, 1978) (lead vocals on Jailhouse Rock, You Belong to Me, Get Up and Down and Tush)
- National Lampoon's Animal House: Original Soundtrack (Universal, 1978) (lead vocals on Money (That's What I Want) and Louie Louie)
- Briefcase Full of Blues (Atlantic, 1978) US #1 (with the Blues Brothers)
- The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack (Atlantic, 1980) US #13 (with the Blues Brothers)
- Made in America (Atlantic, 1980) US #49 (with the Blues Brothers)
- Best of The Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1981) US #143 (with the Blues Brothers)
- Dancin' wid da Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1983) (with the Blues Brothers)
- Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1988) (with the Blues Brothers)
- The Definitive Collection (Atlantic, 1992) (with the Blues Brothers)
- The Very Best of The Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1995) (with the Blues Brothers)
- The Blues Brothers Complete (Atlantic, 2000) (with the Blues Brothers)
- The Essentials (Atlantic, 2003) (with the Blues Brothers)
- Neighbors (Fear Records, 2015) (with Fear)
Comedy Albums
- Official National Lampoon Stereo Test and Demonstration Record (National Lampoon, 1974)
- The Missing White House Tapes (National Lampoon, 1974)
- National Lampoon Gold Turkey (National Lampoon, 1975)
- NBC's Saturday Night Live (Arista, 1976)
- National Lampoon That's Not Funny, That's Sick (National Lampoon, 1977)
- Greatest Hits of the National Lampoon (National Lampoon, 1978)
- National Lampoon White Album (National Lampoon, 1979)
See also
In Spanish: John Belushi para niños
- The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise
- Olympia Café
- Belushi, a 2020 documentary about him
