Blues Brothers Celebrate 40th Anniversary At The Paramount
Updated: Aug 20

The Blues Brothers were founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, as lead vocalist Jake Blues, and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues. The band was composed of well known musicians, and debuted as the musical guest on SNL on April 22, 1978.

That evening, Jake and Elwood opened the show performing “Hey Bartender” and later performed the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man.” Later that year, they released their debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, and opened for The Grateful Dead at the closing of the Winterland Arena in San Francisco. Their fame reached even further heights in 1980 when they released their own comedy film The Blues Brothers.

On March 5, 1982, Belushi died of an accidental overdose. After his death, updated versions of the Blues Brothers have performed on SNL and for charitable and political causes.

On May 4, 2022, Aykroyd, accompanied by Jim Belushi as Brother Zee Blues, played The Paramount in Huntington. They were backed by Belushi’s Sacred Hearts Band that still features some of the original members. There was no story line, but rather a full blown, highly energetic concert. Several audience members were dress head-to-toe in full Blues Brothers attire including the black suit, black shoes, white shirt, sunglasses and fedora.
