hollywoodland
John Belushi: Punk Rock Riots, Chicago Street Brawls, and Missions from God
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In this episode
John Belushi may have been one of the funniest comedians of his generation, but wasn’t just a funny guy. He was a rock star. He partied with the Stones, fronted a world-class band of R&B legends, and was responsible for a punk rock riot in Rockefeller Center. He drew the ire of street gangs in Chicago, attempted to steal a boat with his blues brother, and performed one of his final episodes of Saturday Night Live on death’s door. Everything was heightened. The stakes. The laughs. The sensory overload of lights, camera, action. He worked hard, and played harder. And when it all came to a crashing halt in a Hollywood bungalow, one question remained: Was John Belushi’s death the result of foul play?
Sources
Belushi: A Biography by Judith Jacklin Belushi and Tanner Colby
Coke Contests And Chugging Whiskey: The Drug-Fueled Ballad Of John Belushi (Ranker)
The Evolution Of John Belushi's Joe Cocker Impression (Uproxx)
John Belushi: Son of Samurai (Rolling Stone)
Cathy Smith, Who Injected John Belushi With Fatal Drugs, Dies at 73 (New York Times)
‘I Killed John Belushi’ – Secrets of Comic’s Tragic Star-Studded Death (National Enquirer)
Saturday Night's Children: John Belushi (1975-1979) (Vulture)
Diving Into John Belushi's Lost Last Comedy, 'Noble Rot' (Vulture)
John Belushi: Wrong Time, Wrong Place, Wrong People (Rolling Stone)
National Lampoon’s Lemmings (YouTube)
Lorne Michaels was furious about John Belushi's drug use on 'SNL' (Page Six)
Belushi In the Big Time Second City, and On to New York (Washington Post)
40 Years Ago: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd Say Goodbye to 'Saturday Night Live' (Ultimate Classic Rock)
Live and Passionate, It's 'Saturday Night' (Washington Post)
Dan Aykroyd Explains The Notorious Blues Brothers Cocaine Budget (Decider)
John Belushi Said Martha's Vineyard Was the One Place 'Where I like being me' (Cheat Sheet)
Why John Belushi died (Roger Ebert)Making Blues Brothers With John Belushi and Dan Akroyd—“We Had a Budget for Cocaine” (Vanity Fair)
The Blues Brothers (IMDb)
Carrie Fisher Book Excerpt Recalls John Belushi Relationship (Vulture)
When John Belushi and Fear Scared NBC on Halloween (Diffuser)
FEAR: Why Saturday Night Live Banned the Group and Lee Ving (Rock N’ Roll True Stories)
Fear on Saturday Night Live 10/31/1981 (Hardcore Worldwide)
Diving into John Belushi’s Lost Last Comedy, ‘Noble Rot’ (Vulture)
The Night John Belushi Died: Exclusive Book Excerpt Reveals New Details of a Tragic End at the Chateau Marmont (Hollywood Reporter)
The Story of Robin Williams's Last Night With John Belushi (Vulture)
The life and tragedy of John Belushi (Far Out)
Belushi In the Big Time Second City, and On to New York (Washington Post)
Belushi (Dir. R.J. Cutler, 2020)
The tragic legacy of John Belushi: 'He could have done anything' (The Guardian)
The Tragic Real-Life Story Of John Belushi (Grunge)
John Belushi bio (JohnBelushi.com)
Credits
Hosted by Jake Brennan.
Written by Ted Omo.
Copy edited by James Sullivan.
Scored and mixed by Joel Edinburg.
Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak