The Passing of Saint John
My Fellow Comedists,
This week was the 30th anniversary of the passing of John Belushi. Hard to believe it was that long ago. He was to comedy what Hunter S. Thompson was to journalism. The 60s saw an institutionalization of radical comedy with Pryor and Carlin, something that started the generation before with Lenny Bruce and Dick Gregory. But with Belushi and gang in the 70s, it turned into something completely different, something that did not just challenge social norms, but was itself completely out of control. Belushi wasn't a shock comic, that takes cold calculation, he was a passion comic swept up in his art letting it not only come from him but over him.
He was born in Chicago to first-generation Albanian-Americans in
Chicago, growing up just outside the city. In high-school, he was a
model student and star middle linebacker and captain of the football
team. He had intended to become a football coach, but appearing in
school variety shows, he caught the drama bug. He went to college to
major in drama, but after a bout of freshmanitis, transferred to a
junior college in the Chicago-area.
He found himself preferring
comic roles to the serious ones he had been playing and started an
improv troupe in Chicago. When it got some notice, he earned an
invitation to join THE improv troupe in Chicago. His time at Second City
led him to work with some of those who would help him fill out that
cohort of comedic geniuses.
His Joe Cocker impression, later made
famous on Saturday Night Live, got him a spot in a National Lampoon
stage show, "Lemmings," that spoofed Woodstock. It got him in the door
with National Lampoon and he became part of their radio troupe,
ultimately taking over as director. Here, he worked with many of those
who would become the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" when they made
the move to television with Saturday Night Live.
So, what is the greatest Belushi bit? Man, tough call. A couple of classics:
Watch John Belushi - Ludwig van Beethoven Part 2 in Comedy | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
So, best Belushi bit ever?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
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