View source for John Belushi

{{Short description|American comedian, actor and musician (1949–1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = John Belushi
| image              = John Belushi at the 32nd Annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner - NARA - 30805929.jpg
| caption            = Belushi in 1976
| birth_name         = John Adam Belushi
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1949|01|24}}
| birth_place        = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1982|03|05|1949|01|24}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| occupation         = {{hlist|[[Comedian]]|[[actor]]|[[Singing|singer]]|[[musician]]}}
| years_active       = 1972–1982
| education          = [[College of DuPage]]<br>[[University of Wisconsin, Whitewater]]
| known_for          = {{plainlist|style=font-style:italic;|
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
* ''[[Animal House]]''
* ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]''}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Judith Belushi-Pisano|Judith Jacklin]]|1976}}
| relatives          = {{plainlist|
* [[Jim Belushi]] (brother)
* [[Robert Belushi]] (nephew)}}
| awards             = [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series#Variety or Music Series 1977|Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series]]
| module             = {{infobox comedian|embed=yes
 |medium        = {{hlist|[[Film]]|[[television]]|[[music]]}}
 |genre         = {{hlist|[[Improvisational theatre|Improvisational comedy]]|[[Comedy music|musical comedy]]|[[physical comedy]]|[[sketch comedy]]}}}}
}}

'''John Adam Belushi''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|'|l|uː|ʃ|i}} {{respell|bə|LOO|shee}}; January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and musician. He was one of seven [[Saturday Night Live cast members|''Saturday Night Live'' cast members]] of the first season,<ref name="BrowneBrowne2001">{{cite book|last1=Browne|first1=Ray Broadus|last2=Browne|first2=Pat|title=The Guide to United States Popular Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rJxPYT32MC&pg=PA78|access-date=September 10, 2014|year=2001|publisher=Popular Press|isbn=978-0879728212|pages=78–}}</ref> and he was arguably the most popular member of the ''Saturday Night Live'' ensemble. Belushi had a partnership with [[Dan Aykroyd]]; they had first met while at Chicago's [[the Second City]] comedy club, remaining together as cast members on the inaugural season of the ''Saturday Night Live'' television series.<ref name="Sellers2010">{{cite book|last=Sellers|first=Robert|title=An A–Z of Hellraisers: A Comprehensive Compendium of Outrageous Insobriety|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NbpGJnRyY3gC&pg=PT53|access-date=September 10, 2014|year=2010|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1409051008|pages=53–}}</ref>

Born in Chicago to [[Albanian Americans|Albanian-American]] parents, Belushi started his own comedy troupe with [[Tino Insana]] and Steve Beshekas, called "The West Compass Trio". [[Bernard Sahlins]] recruited him for The Second City comedy club. Once there he met Aykroyd, [[Brian Doyle-Murray]], and [[Harold Ramis]]. In 1975, [[Chevy Chase]] and [[Michael O'Donoghue]] recommended Belushi to ''Saturday Night Live'' creator and showrunner [[Lorne Michaels]], who accepted him as a new cast member of the show after an audition. Belushi developed a series of characters on the show that reached great success, with an imitation of [[Henry Kissinger]] and a portrayal of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]].

Belushi appeared in several films such as ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House]]'', ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'', ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'', and ''[[Neighbors (1981 film)|Neighbors]]''. He also pursued interests in music: with Aykroyd, [[Lou Marini]], [[Tom Malone (musician)|Tom Malone]], [[Steve Cropper]], [[Donald "Duck" Dunn]], and [[Paul Shaffer]], he founded [[The Blues Brothers]], which led to the film of the same name.

Belushi was dismissed from ''Saturday Night Live'' several times and rehired more than once. He died on March 5, 1982, at the age of 33. [[Cathy Smith]] confessed to dosing him with a lethal mixture of [[heroin]] and [[cocaine]] at the [[Chateau Marmont]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-12-mn-21283-story.html |last=Stewart |first=Robery W. |date=September 12, 1985 |title=Either of 2 Drugs Could Have Killed Belushi--Coroner |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 11, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011210314/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-12-mn-21283-story.html |archive-date=October 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name=CSmigger-A001>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-mystery-woman-admitted-i-killed-john-belushi/|title=Cathy Smith, who admitted to killing John Belushi, was a woman of mystery|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=26 August 2020 |last1=Wheeler |first1=Brad }}</ref> Smith was charged with [[involuntary manslaughter]], was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison.<ref name=CSmigger-A001 /> Belushi was honored with a [[posthumous award]] of the star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2004. He was the older brother of [[Jim Belushi]].

==Early life and education==
[[File:John Belushi HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|left|Belushi as a senior at Wheaton Central High School (1967)]]

John Adam Belushi was born to Agnes Demetri (''{{née}}'' Samaras) Belushi<ref name="AP1989-12-23obit"/><ref name="mother">{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/a/h/Denny-Mahoney/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0531.html|title=Denny-Mahoney – User Trees|publisher=Genealogy.com}}</ref> and Adam Anastos Belushi<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/a/h/Denny-Mahoney/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1342.html|title=Denny-Mahoney – User Trees |website=Genealogy.com|access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name="chicagotribune1996-06-02">{{cite news |title=Adam A. Belushi |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-06-02-9606020200-story.html |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=June 2, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122212831/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AzkBRGKdlU8cJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fct-xpm-1996-06-02-9606020200-story.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us |archive-date=November 22, 2020}}</ref> in [[Humboldt Park, Chicago]]. Agnes was a pharmacy worker,<ref name="AP1989-12-23obit">{{cite news |title=Mother of John, Jim Belushi Dies at 64 |url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/mother-of-john-jim-belushi-dies-at-64/article_79727bae-e43c-5933-b2dc-e85b01274cd9.html |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=Tulsa World |agency=Associated Press |date=December 23, 1989 |language=en}}</ref> who was born in [[Ohio]] to Albanian immigrants from [[Korçë, Albania]].<ref name="Smith">{{cite book|title=Athletes Once: 100 Famous People Who Were Once Notable Athletes|author=E. W. Jr. Smith|date=2010|publisher=Fireship Press|isbn=978-1611791402|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fkKFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT195|quote= "…{{spaces}}son of Agnes, a first generation Albanian-American, and Adam, an Albanian immigrant and restaurant operator who left his native village, Qyteze, in 1934."|page=195}}</ref> Adam Anastos Belushi was an Albanian immigrant from [[Qytezë |Qytezë, Albania]], and was the owner of the Fair Oaks restaurant on [[North Avenue (Chicago)|North Avenue]] in Chicago.<ref name="nytimes19930217">{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Glenn |title=Belushi Is No Stranger To a Bar Owner's Role Despite the Movie Image |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/17/theater/belushi-is-no-stranger-to-a-bar-owner-s-role-despite-the-movie-image.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 17, 1993}}</ref><ref name="Smith"/><ref name="MarionOliver2014">{{cite book|last1=Marion|first1=Nancy E|last2=Oliver|first2=Willard M.|title=Drugs in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c5PgBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT103 |access-date=May 28, 2015 |year=2014 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1610695961|pages= 103}}</ref>

Belushi was raised in [[Wheaton, Illinois|Wheaton]] along with his three siblings—younger brothers Billy and [[Jim Belushi|Jim]] and sister Marian.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/bios/John_Belushi.shtml | title= John Belushi | website= NBC.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090206023624/http://nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/bios/john_belushi.shtml |archive-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/02/books/books-of-the-times-close-up-of-john-belushi.html | title= Books Of The Times; Close-Up Of John Belushi | work= The New York Times|author=Broyard, Anatole |date=June 2, 1984 }}</ref> He was [[Eastern Orthodox Christian]], attending the [[Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania|Albanian Orthodox Church]]. He was educated at [[Wheaton Central High School]], where he met his future wife, Judith Jacklin.<ref>{{cite news |author=Blanchet |first=Brenton |date=July 6, 2024 |title=Judy Belushi-Pisano, Widow of John Belushi and Producer, Dies at 73: 'There Was No One Like Her' |url=https://people.com/judy-belushi-pisano-widow-john-belushi-dies-at-73-8674317 |newspaper=People Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c5PgBQAAQBAJ&q=Wheaton%20Central%20High%20School%2C%20where%20he%20met%20his%20future%20wife%2C%20Judith%20Jacklin&pg=PA103|title=Drugs in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law|last1=Nancy|first1=Marion|last2=Oliver|first2=Willard|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2014|isbn=978-1610695954|pages=103}}</ref>

In 1965, Belushi formed a band, the Ravens, together with four fellow high-school students (Dick Blasucci, Michael Blasucci, Tony Pavilonis, and Phil Special). They recorded one single, "Listen to Me Now/[[The Jolly Green Giant|Jolly Green Giant]]". Belushi played drums and sang vocals. The record was not successful, and the band broke up when he enrolled at the [[College of DuPage]]. He also attended the [[University of Wisconsin–Whitewater]] for a year, that time being the inspiration for the ''Animal House'' scene of a motorcycle driving up stairs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 25, 2015|title=Famous people of Whitewater|url=https://royalpurplenews.com/16112/lifestyle/famous-people-of-whitewater/|access-date=October 1, 2020|website=Royal Purple}}</ref> Belushi then attended [[The University of Illinois Chicago Circle (UICC)]] before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live. He acquired the iconic "College" crewneck, worn by his character in ''Animal House'', at a print shop when visiting his brother Jim, who attended [[Southern Illinois University Carbondale|Southern Illinois University]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bode |first=Gus[not a real person] |title=Survey says:SIUC resembles Animal House' |url=https://dailyegyptian.com/32502/archives/survey-sayssiuc-resembles-animal-house/ |access-date=January 3, 2021 |website=Daily Egyptian}}</ref>

==Career==
===1972–1975: Career beginnings: The Second City and National Lampoon===
Belushi started his own comedy troupe in Chicago, the West Compass Trio (named after the improvisational cabaret revue [[Compass Players]] active from 1955 to 1958 in Chicago), with [[Tino Insana]] and Steve Beshekas. Their success piqued the interest of Bernard Sahlins, the founder of The Second City, who asked Belushi to join the cast.<ref name="Sellers2010"/> At Second City, Belushi met and began working with [[Harold Ramis]], [[Joe Flaherty]], and [[Brian Doyle-Murray]].<ref name="Sellers2010"/>

In 1972, Belushi was offered a role, together with Chevy Chase and [[Christopher Guest]], in ''[[National Lampoon Lemmings]]'',<ref name="BrowneBrowne2001"/> a parody of [[Woodstock]], which played [[off-Broadway]] in 1972. Belushi and Jacklin moved to New York City. There, Belushi started working as a writer, director, and actor for ''[[The National Lampoon Radio Hour]]'', a comedy radio show that was created, produced, and written by staff from [[National Lampoon magazine|''National Lampoon'' magazine]].<ref name= NPR>{{cite web|work=[[NPR]].org |title=The National Lampoon Radio Hour| date=November 17, 2003| url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1505048}}</ref> Cast members on the shows produced by Belushi included Ramis, Flaherty, Guest, Brian Doyle Murray, his brother [[Bill Murray]], [[Gilda Radner]], and [[Richard Belzer]]. In 1974, Belushi and Chevy Chase voice-acted on a Lampoon LP record, the ''[[Official National Lampoon Stereo Test and Demonstration Record]]''. During a trip to [[Toronto]] in 1974, Belushi met Dan Aykroyd.<ref name= "BrowneBrowne2001"/> Jacklin became an associate producer for the show, and she and Belushi were married on December 31, 1976. ''[[The National Lampoon Show]]'' toured the country in 1974;{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} it was produced by Ivan Reitman. ''Lampoon'' owner [[Matty Simmons]] was offered a TV show on NBC at this time, but he declined the offer.<ref name=NJcom>{{cite web|title=National Lampoon's rise and fall |website=[[NJ.com]]|department= Jersey Retro: ENTERTAINMENT |date=Apr 22, 2016|first=Mark |last=Voger |agency=NJ Advance Media |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2016/04/national_lampoon.html}}</ref>

===1975–1978: Work at ''Saturday Night Live'' and breakthrough===
In 1975, Chase and writer [[Michael O'Donoghue]] recommended Belushi to [[Lorne Michaels]] as a potential member for a television show Michaels was about to produce for [[NBC]] called ''NBC's Saturday Night'', later ''Saturday Night Live''. Michaels was initially reluctant, as he was not sure if Belushi's physical humor would fit with what he was envisioning, but he changed his mind after giving Belushi an audition.<ref name= "BrowneBrowne2001"/> He appeared alongside O'Donoghue in ''Saturday Night Live''<nowiki/>'s first sketch (subsequently titled "the Wolverines") which aired on October 11, 1975.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdWAGFLnOUg&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive | title=The Wolverines - Saturday Night Live | website=[[YouTube]] | date=October 3, 2013 }}</ref>

Over his four-year tenure at ''Saturday Night Live'' Belushi developed a series of successful characters, including the belligerent [[Saturday Night Live Samurai|''Saturday Night Live'' Samurai]]; Henry Kissinger; Ludwig van Beethoven; the Greek owner (Pete Dionisopoulos) of the [[Olympia Café]]; Captain [[James T. Kirk]]; and a contributor of furious opinion pieces on ''[[Weekend Update]]'', during which he coined a catchphrase, "But N-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!"<ref name= "BrowneBrowne2001"/> With Aykroyd, Belushi created Jake and Elwood, [[the Blues Brothers]]. Originally intended to warm up the studio audience before broadcasts of ''Saturday Night Live'', the Blues Brothers were eventually featured as musical guests.<ref name= "Epstein2004">{{cite book| last= Epstein| first= Lawrence Jeffrey|title= Mixed Nuts: America's Love Affair with Comedy Teams : from Burns and Allen to Belushi and Aykroyd| url= https://archive.org/details/mixednutsamerica0000epst|url-access= registration| access-date=September 10, 2014| year= 2004|publisher= PublicAffairs |isbn= 9781586481902|pages= [https://archive.org/details/mixednutsamerica0000epst/page/223 223]–}}</ref> Belushi also reprised his Lemmings imitation of [[Joe Cocker]]. Cocker himself joined Belushi in 1976 to sing "[[Feelin' Alright?]]" together.

Like many other ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members and writers, Belushi was a [[recreational drug use]]r. He attended concerts including [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[Meat Loaf]], [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]], [[The Dead Boys]], [[Warren Zevon]], [[The Grateful Dead]], and [[The Allman Brothers]]. In 1990, Michaels remembered him as a loyal trouper, to writers, a team player, yet he was fired and rehired at ''Saturday Night Live''.<ref name="Parish2011">{{cite book| last= Parish|first= James Robert|title=The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CJS5RL7eqdsC&pg=PA102|access-date=September 10, 2014|year=2011 |publisher= John Wiley & Sons|isbn= 978-1118039021|pages=102–}}</ref>

In ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s February 2015 appraisal of all 141 ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members, Belushi received their top ranking. "Belushi was the 'live' in ''Saturday Night Live''", they wrote, "the one who made the show happen on the edge{{spaces}}… Nobody embodied the highs and lows of ''Saturday Night Live'' like Belushi."<ref>{{cite magazine | title= 'Saturday Night Live': All 145 Cast Members Ranked | magazine= Rolling Stone | number= 1229 | date= February 26, 2015 | page= 32 | url= https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/saturday-night-live-all-141-cast-members-ranked-20150211 | access-date= February 3, 2018 | archive-date= October 2, 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151002091323/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/saturday-night-live-all-141-cast-members-ranked-20150211 | url-status= dead }}</ref>

===1978–1982: Film debut, established actor and musician, and final years===
In 1978, Belushi performed in the films ''[[Old Boyfriends]]'' (directed by [[Joan Tewkesbury]]), ''[[Goin' South]]'' (directed by [[Jack Nicholson]]), and ''[[Animal House|National Lampoon's Animal House]]'' (directed by [[John Landis]]). Upon its initial release, ''Animal House'' received generally mixed reviews from critics, but [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] and [[Roger Ebert]] proclaimed it one of the year's best movies. Filmed at a cost of $2.8{{spaces}}million, it is one of the most profitable movies of all time,<ref>{{Cite web|title=100 Top Grossing Movies of All Time – Page 5 – 24/7 Wall St.|date=August 14, 2020 |url=https://247wallst.com/special-report/2020/08/14/100-top-grossing-movies-of-all-time-3/5/|access-date= October 26, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref> garnering an estimated gross of more than $141{{spaces}}million in the form of theatrical rentals and home video, not including merchandising. ''Animal House'' was written by [[Doug Kenney]], [[Harold Ramis]], and Chris Miller, and followed in the tradition of the [[Marx Brothers]] films that featured subversive and satirical plots that took on traditional institutions. [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] studios tried to copy the film's success without the satire, resulting in a string of "nerds vs. jocks" films in the 1980s with cheap sight gags involving nudity and gross-out humor.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/04/19/comedy-first|title=Comedy First|last=Friend|first=Tad|magazine=The New Yorker|date=April 12, 2004| access-date=January 28, 2019| language=en|issn=0028-792X}}</ref>

Following the success of the Blues Brothers on ''Saturday Night Live'', Belushi and Aykroyd, with the help of pianist-arranger [[Paul Shaffer]], assembled studio talent forming a proper band. ''Saturday Night Live'' [[saxophonist]] "Blue" [[Lou Marini]] and trombonist-saxophonist [[Tom Malone (musician)|Tom Malone]], who had previously played in [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]] were there. At Shaffer's suggestion, guitarist [[Steve Cropper]] and [[bassist]] [[Donald "Duck" Dunn]], the powerhouse combo from [[Booker T and the M.G.'s]], who played on dozens of hits from [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]'s [[Stax Records]] during the 1960s,<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Cropper |url= https://staxrecords.com/artist/steve-cropper/| access-date=November 10, 2020|website=StaxRecords.com |date= April 10, 2019 }}</ref> were signed as well.<ref>In his biography of Belushi, ''[[Wired (book)|Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi]]'', [[Bob Woodward]] learned, from the numerous interviews he conducted, that Belushi recruited Cropper and Dunn by "alternating good-natured jokes and hard sell."</ref> In 1978 the Blues Brothers released their debut album, ''[[Briefcase Full of Blues]]'', with [[Atlantic Records]]. The album reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 and went [[double platinum]]. Two singles were released: "Rubber Biscuit", which reached number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and "Soul Man", which reached number 14.

In 1979, Belushi along with Aykroyd left ''Saturday Night Live''. They filmed ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' movie, which conflicted with the schedule of ''Saturday Night Live''. Michaels also decided to leave at the end of his contract. NBC's pressure to use recurring characters was also a factor in their decision. Belushi and Aykroyd made two movies together after leaving: ''[[Neighbors (1981 film)|Neighbors]]'' (directed by [[John Avildsen]]), and most notably ''The Blues Brothers'' (directed by John Landis). Released in the U.S. on June 20, 1980, ''The Blues Brothers'' received generally negative reviews.<ref>{{cite book |last1=de Visé |first1=Daniel |title=The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic |date=2024 |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |pages=293, 294}}</ref> It earned just under $5{{spaces}}million in its opening weekend, and went on to gross $115.2{{spaces}}million in theaters worldwide before its release on home video. The Blues Brothers band toured to promote the film, which led to a third album (and second live album), ''[[Made in America (The Blues Brothers album)|Made in America]]'', recorded at the [[Universal Amphitheatre]] in 1980. The track "Who's Making Love" peaked at number 39.

The only film Belushi made without Aykroyd following their departure from ''Saturday Night Live'' was the romantic comedy ''[[Continental Divide (film)|Continental Divide]]'' (directed by [[Michael Apted]]). Released in September 1981, it starred Belushi as Chicago hometown hero writer Ernie Souchack (loosely based on newspaper columnist and long-time family friend [[Mike Royko]]), who gets an assignment researching a scientist (played by [[Blair Brown]]) who studies birds of prey in the remote [[Rocky Mountains]].

By 1981, Belushi had become a fan and advocate of the punk rock band [[Fear (band)|Fear]] after seeing them perform in several after-hours New York City bars and brought them to [[Cherokee Studios]] to record songs for the soundtrack of ''Neighbors''. Blues Brothers band member Tom Scott, along with producing partner and Cherokee owner Bruce Robb, initially helped with the session, but later pulled out due to conflicts with Belushi. The session was eventually produced by Cropper. The producers of ''Neighbors'' refused to use the song in the movie. As penance for the refusal, Belushi, along with O'Donoghue and ''Saturday Night Live'' writer [[Nelson Lyon]], booked Fear to play ''Saturday Night Live''{{'}}s [[Halloween]] broadcast on October 31, 1981 (doing so by agreeing to make a cameo in the episode for free; indeed, he makes a silent cameo in the cold opening of the episode, in what was ultimately his last appearance on the show during his lifetime); the telecast of the performance featured then-novel [[moshing]] and [[stage diving]], and was cut short by NBC due to the band's profanity. The ''[[New York Post]]'' published an account of these and other sensationalistic details of the event the following day.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.openculture.com/2016/05/the-night-john-belushi-booked-the-punk-band-fear-on-snl.html|title=The Night John Belushi Booked the Punk Band Fear on Saturday Night Live, And They Got Banned from the Show| website= Open Culture}}</ref>

Up to his death, Belushi was pursuing movie projects,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://splitsider.com/2011/03/the-lost-roles-of-john-belushi/|title=The Lost Roles of John Belushi|last1= Evans| first1=Bradford|date=March 3, 2011 |website=Splitsider.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180517201328/http://splitsider.com/2011/03/the-lost-roles-of-john-belushi/|archive-date=May 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> including an [[ABSCAM]]-related caper called ''Moon Over Miami'', to be directed by [[Louis Malle]]; and a diamond-smuggling caper called ''Noble Rot'' with [[Jay Sandrich]], based on a script he adapted and rewrote with former ''Saturday Night Live'' writer [[Don Novello]]. However, [[Paramount Studios]] offered to produce ''Noble Rot'' only if Belushi starred in ''The Joy of Sex'', which would have featured him in a diaper. Aykroyd advised him to turn down ''The Joy of Sex'' and return to the East Coast, where Aykroyd was writing ''[[Ghostbusters]]''. Belushi also talked about producing a film in a ''[[High Times]]'' tribute article from 1982: "Belushi wanted to give these daring captains courageous of consciousness the credit they deserved, he told me. He wanted to star in a major marijuana movie to be called ''Kingpin''. He wanted to play the title role."<ref name="hightimes.com">{{cite web|url= https://hightimes.com/high-times-greats/high-times-greats-john-belushi/|title=High Times Greats: John Belushi|website=High Times| date=January 22, 2021}}</ref>

Belushi made a "guest-star appearance" on an episode of the television series ''[[Police Squad!]]'' (1982). Each opening of the show featured a running gag that featured the guest star dying right away. Belushi died shortly before the episode was to air. The scene was cut and replaced by a segment with [[William Conrad]].<ref name="imdb.com">{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000004/bio|title=John Belushi|website= IMDb}}</ref>

==Drug use and death==
Belushi had health issues in the early to mid 1970s due to his [[Substance abuse|drug use]]. [[Cocaine]] was frequently used by the cast and writers of ''Saturday Night Live'', but Belushi's use quickly got out of control and he was temporarily banned from the ''Saturday Night Live'' set. Belushi was aware of warnings that he was headed for an early death, warnings that eventually were mentioned in the 1978 short film "Don't Look Back in Anger," in which Belushi ironically is the last surviving member of the cast and remarks "They all thought I’d be the first one to go. I was one of those ‘live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse’ types, you know?"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perkins |first=Dennis |date=2023-03-11 |title=45 Years Ago: John Belushi Dances on His 'SNL' Castmates' Graves |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-belushi-dances-on-snl-graves/ |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en}}</ref> During the production of ''The Blues Brothers,'' director [[John Landis]] confronted Belushi in his trailer after finding a stash of cocaine. Belushi tearfully admitted his addiction during the argument. Belushi was also frequently late for his call times and would delay shooting by wandering off set. The production hired Smokey Wendell to prevent Belushi from accessing more drugs.<ref name="Far Out Magazine">{{cite web | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-blues-brothers-shocking-cocaine-budget/ | title=Inside the Blues Brothers' shocking cocaine budget - Far Out Magazine | date=June 16, 2021 }}</ref> He managed to quit his habit during the production of ''Continental Divide'', but severely [[relapse]]d during the production of ''Neighbors''.

A few months after the filming on ''Neighbors'' ended, on the evening of February 28, 1982, he checked in to a bungalow at the [[Chateau Marmont]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="wehoonline.com">[https://wehoonline.com/2023/11/26/john-belushis-last-night-west-hollywood/ WEHO Online Community News article dated November 26, 2023]</ref> For several days, he frequented various nightclubs on the [[Sunset Strip]] and [[Santa Monica Boulevard]].<ref name="wehoonline.com"/>

On March 4, 1982, Belushi visited the Los Angeles office of his long-time manager [[Bernie Brillstein]] and asked him for money. Brillstein declined, suspecting that Belushi wanted more drugs.<ref name=Brillstein>Brillstein, Bernie (1999) ''Where Did I Go Right? You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead''. Little, Brown and Company.{{ISBN?}} {{page needed|date=October 2021}}</ref> Later that day, Belushi returned and again asked for money while Brillstein was in a meeting. Brillstein was reluctant to rebuke Belushi in front of the other person and gave him the money. In the early morning hours of March 5, 1982, Belushi, while in his Chateau Marmont bungalow, was visited separately by friends [[Robin Williams]] and [[Robert De Niro]], as well as [[Cathy Smith]].<ref name="wehoonline.com" /><ref>{{cite episode | title= Robin Williams| series= Biography | publisher= Biography Channel | date= July 7, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.franksreelreviews.com/shorttakes/morbid.htm#belushi| title= John Belushi Dies at the Chateau Marmont| website= franksreelreviews.com| access-date= January 4, 2007| archive-date= August 16, 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140816025724/http://franksreelreviews.com/shorttakes/morbid.htm#belushi| url-status= dead}}</ref>

Around noon on March 5, 1982, Belushi's fitness trainer, [[Bill Wallace (martial arts)|Bill Wallace]], found Belushi dead at the Chateau Marmont bungalow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/.amp/news/john-belushi-death-final-days|title=The Final Days of John Belushi: What Led to His Sudden Death? &#124; Biography|website=www.biography.com|date=May 20, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=November 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122143956/https://www.biography.com/.amp/news/john-belushi-death-final-days|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During a [[preliminary hearing]] held in September 1985, two pathologists testified that Belushi's cause of death was due to an overdose from cocaine and [[heroin]].

Cathy Smith was arrested by the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] on March 5, 1982, for possession of narcotics. This arrest was not in relation to Belushi's death.<ref name="rollingstoneWrongTime">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/john-belushi-wrong-time-wrong-place-wrong-people-62730/|title=John Belushi: Wrong Time, Wrong Place, Wrong People|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 13, 1982|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Later in 1982, [[Rolling Stone|''Rolling Stone'' magazine]] described the circumstances of her arrest: "On the afternoon of March 5th, Cathy Evelyn Smith had appeared driving the wrong way into the one-way exit of the Chateau Marmont Hotel on Sunset Strip behind the wheel of John Belushi's rented red Mercedes{{spaces}}… At that moment, a hundred feet away, Belushi lay naked and dead on the floor of his $200-a-day bungalow. The police who had cordoned off the area were reflexively insisting it had been 'death from natural causes'."<ref name="rollingstoneWrongTime" /> The LAPD released Smith after questioning.<ref name="rollingstoneWrongTime" />

In an interview with the ''[[National Enquirer]]'' in May 1982, Smith admitted that she had been with Belushi at the Chateau Marmont on the night of his death. After the appearance of the ''Enquirer'' article, Smith was [[extradited]] from Canada, and charged with [[second-degree murder]].<ref name=CSmigger-A001 /> The case was delayed for four years while her lawyers negotiated. Smith pled no contest on June 11, 1986, to involuntary manslaughter and three counts of furnishing and administering controlled substances to Belushi in the hours before he was found dead.<ref name=CSmigger-A001 /> She served fifteen months in prison at Chino, [[California Institution for Women]].<ref name=CSmigger-A001 />

Belushi's funeral was conducted by an Albanian Orthodox priest.

===Burial===
Belushi was interred at Abel's Hill Cemetery in [[Chilmark, Massachusetts]], on [[Martha's Vineyard]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWtqCgAAQBAJ&q=belushi+Abel%27s+Hill+Cemetery&pg=PT203|title=Where Are They Buried?: How Did They Die? Fitting Ends and Final Resting Places of the Famous, Infamous, and Noteworthy|first=Tod|last=Benoit|year= 2015|publisher=Hachette Books|isbn=978-0316391962|via=Google Books}}</ref> Belushi's tombstone has a skull and crossbones with the inscription, "I may be gone but Rock and Roll lives on."

After the success of ''The Blues Brothers'', his fame further escalated after his death. Members of his family, along with Chilmark officials, gradually became more concerned over his gravesite becoming a tourist attraction like that of [[Jim Morrison]]. Reports increased of excess noise, damaging grass and disturbing the peace of others buried there, along with fans paying bizarre tributes by littering his gravesite with liquor bottles, beer cans, and other paraphernalia. His widow arranged to have him reinterred in an unmarked grave near the original site.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1919236_1919237_1919234,00.html|title=Top 10 Celebrity Grave Sites |magazine=Time|date=September 3, 2009|via=content.time.com}}</ref> The tombstone of Belushi's mother at [[Elmwood Cemetery (River Grove, Illinois)]], has Belushi's name inscribed on it and thus serves as a [[cenotaph]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-DgDAAAQBAJ&q=belushi+Elmwood+Cemetery&pg=PA55|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|first=Scott|last=Wilson|year= 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786479924|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Belushi was scheduled to present the [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects Oscar]] at the [[54th Academy Awards|1982 Academy Awards]] with Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd presented the award alone, and stated from the lectern: "My partner, he would have loved to have been here tonight to present this award, since he was somewhat of a visual effect himself."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Oscars of 1982 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328012045/https://ew.com/article/2007/01/26/oscars-1982/ |archive-date=2023-03-28 |url-status=live |url=https://ew.com/article/2007/01/26/oscars-1982/}}</ref>

==Tributes, legacy, and popular culture==
[[File:John Belushi 2008 stamp of Albania.jpg|thumb|A 2008 stamp from [[Albania]]]]

During the first live ''Saturday Night Live'' episode following Belushi's death with host [[Robert Urich]] and musical guest [[Mink DeVille]], airing live on March 20, 1982, cast member [[Brian Doyle-Murray]] gave a tribute to him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://snltranscripts.jt.org/81/81nbelushi.phtml|title=81n: Robert Urich / Mink De Ville|website=Saturday Night Live Transcripts|date=October 8, 2018 }}</ref> During the preproduction of ''Ghostbusters'', Reitman remarked that [[Slimer]] bore a resemblance to Belushi's character Bluto from ''[[Animal House]]''.<ref>Shay, Don (1985). ''Making Ghostbusters'', p. 78 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York, {{ISBN|0918432685}}. Joe Medjuck says: "One day, during preproduction, we were all sitting around talking about the Onionhead concept, and Ivan remarked that the character was sort of like Bluto in Animal House{{snd}}like the ghost of John Belushi, in a way, Danny, who was obviously a good friend of John's, never argued with that. Even so, we never officially said that and we never mentioned it in the script. It was just one way to look at the character, because Onionhead's grossness is like Bluto's in Animal House. We certainly never expected anyone to recognize him as such, although somehow the word did get out and we received some calls from a few newspapers saying they'd heard we had the ghost of John Belushi in our movie."</ref> Since then, Slimer has been described as "the ghost of John Belushi" by Aykroyd in many interviews.

Belushi's life was detailed in 3 books: the 1984 biography ''[[Wired (book)|Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi]]'' by [[Bob Woodward]], the accuracy of which has been questioned by journalists and by people close to Belushi,<ref>{{cite web|last=Colby|first=Tanner|title=Regrettable|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/03/bob_woodward_and_gene_sperling_what_woodward_s_john_belushi_book_can_tell.html|publisher=[[Slate (website)|Slate]]|date=March 12, 2013|access-date=March 13, 2013}}</ref> and the 1990 memoir ''[[Samurai Widow]]'' by his widow Judith. Woodward's book was adapted into a [[Wired (film)|film of the same name]] in 1989, which was denounced by Aykroyd and Judith, and was given poor reviews by critics. Belushi's career and death were prominently featured in the 1999 memoir of his manager Bernie Brillstein, who wrote that he was haunted by the comedian's death. He wrote that he learned how to better deal with clients.<ref name=Brillstein/> In 2005 Tanner Colby produced [[Belushi: A Biography]], a collection of first-person interviews and photographs of Belushi's life, written in collaboration with Judith Belushi, his widow.<ref>{{cite web | last=Tribune | first=Chicago | title=Martha's Vineyard tamed wild comic John Belushi | website=Chicago Tribune | date=2005-12-31 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/12/31/marthas-vineyard-tamed-wild-comic-john-belushi/ | access-date=2025-11-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Feeney | first=Mark | title=At Home in the Vineyard, John Belushi Found Peace | website=Lakeland Ledger | date=2006-01-03 | url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2006/01/03/at-home-in-the-vineyard-john-belushi-found-peace/25831410007/ | access-date=2025-11-10}}</ref>

[[Eddie Money]] wrote "Passing by the Graveyard (Song for John B.)", from his 1982 album ''[[No Control (Eddie Money album)|No Control]]'', in tribute to Belushi. The two became friends after Money was a musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live'' during the show's third season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tulsaworld.com/entertainment/jimmie-tramel-rocker-eddie-moneys-best-work-came-from-dark-place/article_26772880-6d68-5a14-8023-44cae01c06a6.html|title=Jimmie Tramel: Rocker Eddie Money's best work came from dark place|last=Tramel|first=Jimmie|publisher=tulsaworld.com|access-date=October 28, 2020 | date=November 13, 2017}}</ref> The [[thrash metal]] group [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]] penned a song about Belushi on their 1987 album ''[[Among the Living]]'', titled "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/charlie_benante_of_anthrax/|title=Songfacts Interview with Charlie Benante by Greg Prato|last=Prato|first=Prato|publisher=Songfacts.com|access-date=January 31, 2016 | date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> Polish rock band [[Lady Pank]] recorded a song "John Belushi" for their 1988 album ''Tacy sami'', with references to his Albanian ancestry.

Belushi was portrayed in biographical films by actors [[Tyler Labine]], [[Michael Chiklis]] and [[John Gemberling]].<ref name="Goldblatt">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/05/07/chris.farley/|title='Chris Farley Show' stuffed with gossip|last=Goldblatt|first=Henry|work=CNN|access-date=June 8, 2008 |date=May 7, 2008}}</ref> [[Chris Farley]], who was heavily influenced by Belushi, died in 1997 at age 33 due to a drug overdose, which has fueled many comparisons between Belushi and Farley.<ref name="Goldblatt"/>
[[File:John Belushi's Star.jpg|thumb|upright|Belushi's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame]]

In 2004, Belushi was posthumously inducted into the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] with a [[List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars|motion pictures star]] located at 6355 [[Hollywood Boulevard]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/john-belushi |title=Hollywood Walk of Fame – John Belushi |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |access-date=November 16, 2017}}</ref> In 2006, [[Biography Channel]] aired an episode of ''[[Final 24]]'', a documentary following Belushi during the last 24 hours leading to his death. Four years later, Biography aired a full documentary of Belushi's life. In 2015, Belushi was ranked by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as the greatest ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member of all time.<ref name=RollingStoneSNLRanked>{{cite news|last1=Sheffield|first1=Rob|title='Saturday Night Live': All 141 Cast Members Ranked|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/saturday-night-live-all-141-cast-members-ranked-20150211|access-date=March 25, 2015|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 11, 2015|archive-date=October 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002091323/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/saturday-night-live-all-141-cast-members-ranked-20150211|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Belushi's widow later remarried and became Judith Jacklin Belushi Pisano. However, she and her second husband, Victor Pisano, divorced in 2010.<ref name=togoodjudy>{{cite news|url=https://wgntv.com/news/deans-list/judith-belushi-pisano-widow-of-chicago-icon-john-belushi-dies-at-73/|title=Judith Belushi Pisano, widow of Chicago icon John Belushi, dies at 73|first=Michael|last=Johnson|publisher=WGN|date=July 8, 2024|access-date=July 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="farewelljudy">{{cite news |last=Seonwoo |first=Eunki |date=July 6, 2024 |title=Judith Belushi Pisano dies at 73 |url=https://www.mvtimes.com/2024/07/06/judith-belushi-pisano-passes/ |access-date=July 8, 2024 |publisher=Martha's Vineyard Times}}</ref><ref name=ripjudy>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/judy-belushi-pisano-dead-widow-john-belushi-actress-1235940330/|title=Judy Belushi Pisano, Actress and Widow of John Belushi, Dies at 73|first=Christy|last=Pina|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 6, 2024|access-date=July 6, 2024}}</ref>

''Saturday Night Live'' castmate [[Jane Curtin]], who appeared on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' in 2011, stated that Belushi was a [[misogynist]] who would deliberately sabotage the work of female writers and comics while working on the show: "So you'd go to a table read, and if a woman writer had written a piece for John, he would not read it in his full voice. He felt as though it was his duty to sabotage pieces written by women."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/13/john-belushi-sexist-jane-curtain_n_848646.html/|title=John Belushi A Misogynist|work=Huffington Post|access-date=June 8, 2008 |date=May 7, 2008}}</ref> ''Saturday Night Live'' writer [[Anne Beatts]] suggested that because she was writing a book with his wife at the time, Belushi was frustrated with them spending more time on the book than with him. He complained to Michaels about Beatts and Rosie Shuster.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ZdPZiDgUc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/l1ZdPZiDgUc| archive-date=October 28, 2021|title=Writer Anne Beatts on the original "SNL" cast|website=EmmyTVLegends.org}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Judith said that Belushi was a "[[Women's Lib]]ber" and did not hate women.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftnLpbHTnd8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/ftnLpbHTnd8| archive-date=October 28, 2021|title=Belushi – Q&A Judd Apatow talks to R.J. Cutler & Judith Belushi-Pisano|website=Film Independent Presents| date=November 26, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Judith, who worked to keep Belushi's legacy alive and who was credited for her role in assisting Belushi and Dan Aykroyd with ''[[The Blues Brothers]]'', died in July 2024.<ref name=togoodjudy /><ref name="farewelljudy" /><ref name=ripjudy />

[[Angus Stone]], also known as Dope Lemon, released a song called "John Belushi" in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dope Lemon: "I'm always learning and growing on the things I can do better" |url=https://www.theindiescene.co.uk/interviews/dope-lemon |access-date=2025-09-13 |website=THE INDIE SCENE |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1975 
| ''[[Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle]]''
| Craig Baker 
| English version; Voice role
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1978
| ''[[Animal House]]''
| John Blutarsky
|
|-
| ''[[Goin' South]]''
| Deputy Hector
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1979
| ''[[Old Boyfriends]]''
| Eric Katz
|
|-
| ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]''
| Captain Bill "Wild Bill" Kelso
|
|-
| 1980 
| ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]''
| [[The Blues Brothers|Jake "Joliet Jake" Blues]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1981
| ''[[Continental Divide (film)|Continental Divide]]''
| Ernie Souchak
|
|-
| ''[[Neighbors (1981 film)|Neighbors]]''
| Earl Keese
| Final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1975–1980
| ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
| Various Roles
| 79 episodes; also writer
|-
| 1976
| ''The Beach Boys: It's OK''
| Cop #2
| TV movie; also writer
|-
| 1978
| ''[[All You Need Is Cash|The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash]]''
| Ron Decline
| TV movie
|}

===Others===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 1973
| ''[[National Lampoon Lemmings]]''
| Stage
|-
| 1973–1974
| ''[[The National Lampoon Radio Hour]]''
| Radio; also Creative Director
|-
| 1975
| ''The National Lampoon Show''
| Stage
|}

==Discography==
*''Listen to Me Now/[[The Jolly Green Giant|Jolly Green Giant]]'' (Alonas Dream Records, 1965) (with the Ravens)
*''National Lampoon's Lemmings'' (Blue Thumb Records, 1973) (bass guitar, lead vocals on ''Lonely At The Bottom'')
*''Old Boyfriends: Original Soundtrack'' (Columbia, 1978) (lead vocals on ''[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]'', ''[[You Belong to Me (1952 song)|You Belong to Me]]'', ''Get Up and Down'' and ''[[Tush (ZZ Top song)|Tush]]'')
*''National Lampoon's Animal House: Original Soundtrack'' (Universal, 1978) (lead vocals on ''[[Money (That's What I Want)]]'' and ''[[Louie Louie]]'')
*''[[Briefcase Full of Blues]]'' (Atlantic, 1978) [[Billboard Top 200|US]] #1 (with the Blues Brothers)
*''[[The Blues Brothers (film)#Soundtrack|The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack]]'' (Atlantic, 1980) US #13 (with the Blues Brothers)
*''[[Made in America (The Blues Brothers album)|Made in America]]'' (Atlantic, 1980) US #49 (with the Blues Brothers)
*''[[Best of The Blues Brothers]]'' (Atlantic, 1981) US #143 (with the Blues Brothers)
*''[[Dancin' wid da Blues Brothers]]'' (Atlantic, 1983) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers'' (Atlantic, 1988) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''The Definitive Collection'' (Atlantic, 1992) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''[[The Very Best of The Blues Brothers]]'' (Atlantic, 1995) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''The Blues Brothers Complete'' (Atlantic, 2000) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''The Essentials'' (Atlantic, 2003) (with the Blues Brothers)
*''Neighbors'' (Fear Records, 2015) (with [[Fear (band)|Fear]])

===Comedy albums===
*''[[Official National Lampoon Stereo Test and Demonstration Record]]'' (National Lampoon, 1974)
*''[[The Missing White House Tapes]]'' (National Lampoon, 1974)
*''[[National Lampoon Gold Turkey]]'' (National Lampoon, 1975)
*''NBC's Saturday Night Live'' (Arista, 1976)
*''[[National Lampoon That's Not Funny, That's Sick]]'' (National Lampoon, 1977)
*''[[Greatest Hits of the National Lampoon]]'' (National Lampoon, 1978)
*''[[National Lampoon White Album]]'' (National Lampoon, 1979)

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise]]
*[[Olympia Café]]
*[[List of deaths from drug overdose and intoxication]]
*''[[Belushi (film)|Belushi]]'', a 2020 documentary film about him

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|John Belushi}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{IMDb name}}
*{{Tcmdb name}}
*{{iobdb name}}
* {{discogs artist|John Belushi}}

{{Former Saturday Night Live cast members}}
{{The Blues Brothers}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1970s}}
{{2017 Television Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belushi, John}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in California]]
[[Category:American impressionists (entertainers)]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:American manslaughter victims]]
[[Category:American people of Albanian descent]]
[[Category:American sketch comedians]]
[[Category:Cocaine-related deaths in California]]
[[Category:College of DuPage alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths by heroin overdose in California]]
[[Category:Drug-related deaths in California]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from the United States]]
[[Category:Male actors from Chicago]]
[[Category:Male actors from Wheaton, Illinois]]
[[Category:Members of the Albanian Orthodox Church]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Illinois]]
[[Category:The Blues Brothers members]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–Whitewater alumni]]
[[Category:Comedians from Chicago]]