For the Fourth of July celebration on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, a number of musical acts will perform including the Beach Boys and The Blues Brothers. The Blues Brothers made their debut on Saturday Night Live in 1978. SNL players John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd portrayed ex-con Brothers Jake and Elwood Blues who were raised in a Catholic orphanage in Calumet City, Illinois. The musical act was such a hit on TV, a 1980 Hollywood film, The Blues Brothers, was created around its characters. The film was directed by John Landis and featured musical numbers by Miss Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, and John Lee Hooker, among others. The late John Candy and Carrie Fisher also starred.
[Left: The Blues Brothers movie features James Brown as a preacher and Aretha Franklin as a diner waitress]
Fifteen years after the death of John Belushi, his brother, actor Jim Belushi (According to Jim) joined the band as Brother Zee Blues. A Capitol Fourth will air on July 4 at 8pm on PBS. The Blues Brothers have released 14 albums.
[Bob Woodward‘s famous book: Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi]
