From the moment Jake and Elwood Blues swaggered onto the Saturday Night Live stage on April 22, 1978, it was evident that pop culture history was being written in real time. The Blues Brothers strolled in to the toe-tapping backbeat of an exceptionally talented live band, steadily picking up steam as the brass kicked in and the beat surged forward. Jake chewed bubblegum and kept time while Elwood dug into his trusty briefcase to produce a harmonica. Then, as the band built to a crescendo, Jake broke into a cartwheel, his signature black fedora never once leaving his head. What followed was a rollicking, rasping, intensely felt cover of Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," Jake's lead vocals igniting the stage and enrapturing the audience while Elwood moved smoothly behind him, his feet frenetic, body smooth to the beat.
Like the many legendary musical guests who'd graced that very stage before, The Blues Brothers had talent, presence, pure energy and rhythm, and star power in spades. There was, however, one major differentiating factor: Jake and Elwood Blues were not real people.
The Windy City siblings were entirely fictitious, creations of comedians John Belushi (Jake) and Dan Aykroyd (Elwood), who had connected over a shared love of music. And though neither were classically trained, the pair—bonded not by blood, but by friendship and fate—began to perform music together, assembling a band full of next-level talent and bringing the glory of the blues to as many folks as would listen. Legendary composer (then SNL's band director) Howard Shore dubbed them The Blues Brothers, and the rest was history.
But make no mistake, though the Second City alums were gifted comedians, their musical revue was no joke. Together, Belushi, Aykroyd, and the band would open for artists including and , go platinum with 1978's debut record Briefcase Full of Blues, and transcend to the realm of cultural icons with director John Landis's movie in 1980. A cult classic with a cast rounded out by veritable music legends and one hell of a soundtrack, the film struck a fine balance of madcap humor and stirring music and dance.
