Jim Belushi Still Remembers Late Brother John Belushi's First Blues Brothers Performance onSNL, Calls It 'Magic' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as The Blues Brothers in 1980.Photo:Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Jim Belushiis sharing fond memories of The Blues Brothers’ first appearance onSaturday Night Live.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, Belushi was among the stars andSNLalumni at NBC’s Studio 8H for the live taping ofSNL50: The Anniversary Special, celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. On the event’s red carpet, he described his late brotherJohn Belushiand fellow foundingSNLcast memberDan Aykroyd’s first on-air performance as their iconic characters as “magic.”

“When John and Danny entered that first time, nobody knew what was going to happen,” the actor and comedian, 70, told PEOPLE. “That cartwheel, boy, does my brother know how to make an entrance.”

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1978.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Already known for his over-the-top physical comedy, John Belushi’s cartwheels became a signature part of his character “Joliet” Jake Blues’ entrances alongside Aykroyd’s silent harmonica player Elwood Blues. The pair developed their Blues Brothers characters following a January 1976SNLepisode in which they performed Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee” while dressed in their “Killer Bee” sketch costumes.

The now iconic version of the characters in their fedoras and sunglasses first appeared onSNLin an April 1978 cold open, where they performed a cover of Willie Mabon and His Combo’s “I Don’t Know” with a full backing band.

But as John’s late wifeJudy Belushi Pisanoexplained in last year’s Audible OriginalBlues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude, The Blues Brothers sprang more from Belushi and Aykroyd’s love of music. “It wasn’t a bit exactly that they were doing,” Pisano said. “It’s often referred to, The Blues Brothers, as developed from a skit onSaturday Night Live.And, you know, that’s really just not true.”

Jim Belushi at SNL50 on Feb. 16, 2025.NBC/Noam Galai/NBC via Getty

NBC/Noam Galai/NBC via Getty

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source: people.com