The origins of blues music can be traced back to the 1860s. African Americans – many newly fed from the shackles of slavery – were creators of the genre, which became the perfect mode of combining hollers, chants and rhymes to reflect their experience living in the Deep South of the United States.
Indeed, despite being born out of oppression, it would become an art form that widely celebrated the black community and connected them through lived experience. It was a staple feature of ‘juke joints’ while also becoming a powerful force to which American Americans would contribute to the country’s broader national culture.
While blues had already seeped into public consciousness through radio, television and live performances by the second half of the twentieth century, an entirely new generation of people became exposed to the genre by watching a Saturday Night Live skit in the 1970s and 1980s.
What is the name of that skit? The Blues Brothers.
An untypical start
Comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were the two men behind The Blues Brothers. Aykroyd’s love of the blues genre was first sparked in his hometown of Ottawa, Canada. He frequented a small club called Le Hibou, where he was able to enjoy the musical delights of African American blues legends such as James Cotton and Otis Spann.
Meanwhile, Belushi’s interest was ignited during a visit to Eugene, Oregon and was nurtured by his friend Aykroyd. The two were first and foremost comedians, but through a mutual appreciation of blues, they would later go on to become synonymous with the genre.
Unlike most names that spring to mind when you think of blues, it’s more than fair to say that the pair had a rather untypical start. The two were white, not from the south and had a ready-made platform from which they could practise their passion.
This only goes to show how much blues had begun to spread in influence by the latter half of the twentieth century. Like many traditions of the black community, it had broken out of its confines and became an unstoppable force in the United States.
The vehicle had already been built – and Aykroyd and Belushi were just the drivers taking it to another destination.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live recently kick-started its 48th season in 2022 and has become a much-loved television programme. However, its eventual success was less than guaranteed in the early years of the show, and the cast needed to be able to produce content that resonated with viewers and kept them coming back in those first few years on air.
Enter The Blues Brothers.
Belushi and Aykroyd – building on the popularity from an earlier skit from 1976, in which the pair performed Slim Harpo’s song ‘I’m A King Bee’ – assumed the characters of ‘Joliet’ Jake Blues and Elwood Blues in 1978. Then, with Belushi as lead vocalist and Aykroyd accompanying him on the harmonica, the two started carrying out musical sketches on the show, much to the delight of the audiences.
For older viewers, it was a fitting tribute to the music they’d grown up hearing on the radio and enjoying in smoky bars. Meanwhile, for younger viewers, it was sometimes the first time that they’d been allowed to savour the sound so closely linked with African Americans.
In many ways – whether people realised it or not – Belushi and Aykroyd were often paying homage to the great men and women of the genre. In particular, blues giants such as Sam & Dave and Big Joe Turner were regularly the inspiration behind the music performed by The Blues Brothers.
Through this, those who had come before them still got their moment to shine.
Breaking Out
Much like how blues had broken out of the black community and into all corners of the United States by the twentieth century, it didn’t take long for The Blues Brothers to outgrow Saturday Night Live. This was partly due to the now-iconic costumes worn by the pair, which included dark suits, sunglasses and fedora hats (part of which were inspired by Mississippi blues legend John Lee Hooker).
The band quickly expanded to feature saxophonists, trombonists, and a list of esteemed musicians. This included guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn, both of which had been a part of the famed group Booker T. & the M.G.’s. There were others in the line-up, which would constantly change and evolve over the years to come.
This original ensemble ultimately set the table for The Blues Brothers to embark on a series of commercial endeavours, including studio albums, live tours and even a film. In many ways, the numbers speak for themselves. The band’s first live album, titled A Briefcase Full of Blues, shifted a whopping 3.5 million copies and made it to number one on the Billboard 200.
An eponymous film similarly saw massive success. Released in 1980, it was the tenth highest-grossing film in that year after raking in more than $ 115 million at the box office. To this day, it is still the ninth highest-grossing musical in history.
A Legacy
The Blues Brothers, as many people know them, came to a sad end following the tragic death of Belushi in 1982. However, incarnations of the band still perform today and a second film, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998.
Undoubtedly, the group didn’t just form a solid legacy but is still intact to this day. In many ways, their success continues to build upon the legacy of the original blues movement and those who influenced Belushi and Aykroyd.
Much like how Deep South staples such as smoky food seasoning and twisting dance moves now permeate across the nation after originating in much smaller – and often oppressed – settings, blues music is yet another element of African American culture that was destined for greatness in the United States.
It’s true that Belushi and Aykroyd might not have been familiar faces of the movement. They did, however, bring new eyes onto it and add a greater appreciation to an art form that was born through a combination of talent, struggle and determination.