It was 32-years ago that the
Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood Blues played by
John Belushi and
Dan Aykroyd, made their debut on Saturday Night Live. Soon, there were albums, hit singles and tours with the two actors and a band made up of some of R&B's best session men.
Soul Man made it to number 14 in 1979 and
Gimme Some Lovin' to 18 in 1980 while their album
Briefcase Full of Blues hit number 1.
Of course, there was also
The Blues Brothers movie which was a huge hit and, even though it is filled with car crashes and other action scenes, has been named by the Vatican newspaper as one of the great movies for Catholics.
All that came to an end in 1982 with the death of Belushi. Akyroyd has kept the legend going with guest stars, a new movie (Blues Brothers 2000) and his syndicated radio show which he hosts in his Blues Brother character.
Now, Akyroyd, Judy Belushi and the Belushi Estate have decided that the torch should be passed to a new generation. They have announced that actors Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty will take over the characters of Jake and Elwood. It isn't the first time they have done the parts. The two actors perfected their impersonations while staring in
Legends in Concert and, in 2004, auditioned for Judy Belushi for her production of
The Official Blues Brothers Revival.
Belushi said, "We learned that day how hard it is to do what John and Dan did…some looked the part but nobody had the whole package until Kieron and Wayne arrived."
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| Catania and Lafferty as The Blues Brothers |
The pair played in the show for five months and have been in contact with Belushi ever since. They are currently in a touring company of the show that now combines the legend of the Blues Brothers with "the rich history of gospel and blues music."
Belushi and Akyroyd have also been working together on further ways to develop the franchise and are developing a possible TV series. Belushi has been working with Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts on the pilot for the project.
"What this has done has reminded me what great characters the Blues Brothers are," Belushi says. "They are great American characters. People tend to think of them as John and Dan. They were the first actors to do it but they won’t be the last. When you see Kieran and Wayne you will see how they embody those characters and make them work. There is a spirit of Blues Brothers. It is an umbrella for the Blues."
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The Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame announced their inductees for their 40th Anniversary Dinner and Induction Ceremony. The writers will be honored on Sunday, October 17.
