Best known for his role in ‘The Blues Brothers,’ Dan Aykroyd’s career did not end with the film’s credits. While his co-star John Belushi’s passing marked an important moment in his life, Aykroyd’s journey post-‘The Blues Brothers’ took various turns.

A Loss that Shaped Aykroyd’s Journey

Aykroyd’s beginnings in comedy trace back to the 1970s, when he became a mainstay of the ‘Saturday Night Live (SNL).’ 1978’s ‘The Blues Brothers’ film, an offshoot of their SNL skit, saw Aykroyd paired with his friend and comedic partner, John Belushi.

Thanks to their on-screen chemistry, the film became an instant classic. However, on March 5, 1982, Belushi was found dead at his bungalow at the Chateau Marmont Hotel. As reported by Outsider, he recalled the time he heard about his friend’s passing in an episode of the ‘What We’re Drinking‘ podcast, saying:

“I was typing a line for Belushi for ‘Ghostbusters.’ I was at our office at 155th Avenue. It was about 8:30 in the morning. I’m typing a line for him, and the phone rings from LA, and it’s the manager. And all I’m thinking is I gotta get to Judy’s house [Belushi’s wife] right now. She can’t hear this on the radio.”

Aykroyd admitted thinking of John Belushi daily and felt he had overcome his struggles with substances the summer before he died.

Life After The Blues Brothers

Aykroyd starred in various films after the loss of his friend and collaborator. He co-starred in ‘Ghostbusters,’ which not only became a box-office hit but also spun off sequels and an animated series. This film, which Aykroyd co-wrote and starred in, introduced the world to proton packs, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and the catchphrase, ‘Who you gonna call?’

The 1990s witnessed the actor take on roles in films like ‘My Girl‘ and ‘Coneheads,‘ where he reprised his SNL character, Beldar Conehead. Although he later stepped back from high-profile acting, Aykroyd has worked on various TV shows, including ‘Psi Factor,‘ ‘Soul Man,‘ and has guest-starred on other shows like ‘Family Guy‘ and ‘Workin’ Moms.‘ He also appeared in ‘Zombieland: Double Tap‘ and returned as Dr. Ray Stantz in ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife.’

Although you can see Aykroyd in various roles following Belushi’s passing, he believes he doesn’t need fame to work in the film industry:

“I don’t need fame anymore. People are less interested in me in terms of celebrity. I’m happy to see a new generation being the media focus. I’m happy my day is done… I don’t want to work anymore really in film. I’d have to be called up by triple-A superstars.”

Alongside acting, Aykroyd also pursued business interests. He launched the Crystal Head Vodka brand, which gained attention for its bottle design and quality.

Especially after Belushi’s death, The Blues Brothers Band’s lineup has changed over time. Today, they continue to tour with Aykroyd occasionally performing alongside Jim Belushi, John’s younger brother.

Aykroyd also created The House of Blues venue chain. Established in 1992, this venture sought to promote African-American cultural contributions in music and art. Today, House of Blues venues across the United States offer audiences a blend of music, food, and art.

As of now, Aykroyd is working on another ‘Ghostbusters’ sequel, which will be the fifth film in the ‘Ghostbusters‘ franchise. The film is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024.

The post Dan Aykroyd’s Life And Career After The Blues Brothers And Losing John Belushi appeared first on Ntertain Us!.

The Blues Brothers’ Dan Aykroyd sat down with AXTV’s Dan Rather for an interview, where he revealed his thoughts on Eric Clapton making a profit out of black music.

During the conversation, Rather reminded Aykroyd that the Blues Brothers were criticized for being a band of two white artists taking black music and making money from it. In his response, Aykroyd gave Clapton as an example and said he understands why people try to preserve their culture:

“Well, I have two words to say: Eric Clapton. I mean, if Eric Clapton can do it and come off, revere the music, pay tribute to the music, and make it successful, I think it’s okay for us to step in there. I don’t think it’s a valid point — the blues is for everyone; there are so many great blues artists who aren’t African-American. Fair enough, for people to protect the culture against cultural appropriation, but see, we did it in such a spirit of reverence and love for those performers.”

After that, Aykroyd revealed their record company actually suggested them buy the royalties of all of the songs they used for a small amount of money:

“And the other thing we did was, well, Atlantic Records said, ‘You’re doing all these cover songs, just offer the writers a percentage. You can get these; you can own all these songs yourself! Just give them 10 grand!’ We didn’t. All the people that wrote songs for us, we said, ‘Nope, we’re going to keep performance royalties only, [and] the original songwriters; they keep their royalties. We ain’t making no special deal.'”

According to the comedian, all of the blues artists they covered got their publishing rights in the end:

“Eddie Floyd gets his money, and Donnie Walsh gets his money. All the people who wrote the songs in the show got their full publishing because we love these artists. We love them, and we respected them.”

Aykroyd founded the Blues Brothers in 1978 with the comedian John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Following the release of their debut album ‘Briefcase Full of Blues,’ they rose to fame after the 1980 comedy film ‘The Blues Brothers.‘

Back in 1976, Clapton received a backlash after his racist remarks on stage. However, he later defended himself by saying he was not a racist as he had black friends and he was making black music.

You can watch the interview below.

The post Dan Aykroyd On Eric Clapton Making Money From African American Music appeared first on Ntertain Us!.