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Image:Belushi in Animal House.jpg|thumb|right|John
Belushi as Bluto in Animal House
Image:BluesBrothers.jpg|thumb|right|John Belushi
(right) with Dan Akroyd in The Blues Brothers

John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March
5, 1982) was an United States|American actor and
comedian. John was born in the U.S. to Adam
Belushi, an Albanian immigrant who left his native
village, Qytezë, in 1934 at the age of 15, and
his wife Agnes, born in the US to Albanian
immigrants. John's brother James Belushi is also a
successful actor and comedian.

Belushi's first big break as a comedian occurred
in 1971, when he joined The Second City comedy
troupe in Chicago, Illinois.  Thanks to his
uncanny caricature of singer Joe Cocker's intense
and jerky stage presence, he participated in
National Lampoon's "Lemmings" stage show in 1972
(which also featured future Saturday Night Live
performer Chevy Chase).

From 1973 to 1975 the National Lampoon aired the
Radio Hour, a half-hour comedy program syndicated
across the country on approximately 600 stations.
When original director Michael O'Donaghue quit in
1974, Belushi took over the reins until the show
was cancelled. Other players on the show included
future SNL regulars Gilda Radner, Bill Murray,
Brian Doyle-Murray, Richard Belzer and Chevy
Chase. Belushi married Judy Jacklin, an associate
producer of the Radio Hour. A number of  comic
bits first performed on the Radio Hour would be
translated into SNL sketches in the show's early
seasons.    

Belushi achieved national fame with his work on
Saturday Night Live, which he joined as one of the
original cast members in 1975.  He left Saturday
Night Live in 1979 to pursue a film career, and he
appeared in a number of movies, including The
Blues Brothers (with Dan Aykroyd) and Animal
House. Both the Animal House and the Blues
Brothers albums went to number 1, making Belushi
the only performing artist to concurrently attain
momentary greatness in the two disciplines.

He was also known to indulge in bouts of drinking
and involvement with drugs which eventually cost
him his life. John was found dead on March 5, 1982
in a hotel room at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset
Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The cause of
death was a Speedball (drug)|speedball, a lethal
injection of cocaine and heroin. His death was
investigated by forensic pathology|forensic
pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, among others, and
while there was some dispute in the findings it
was eventually officially ruled a drug-related
accident.  There was some suspicion of foul play
by his companion and drug dealer at the time,
Cathy Smith.

John's life is detailed in the biography "Wired:
The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi"
(Published in 1985) by Bob Woodward.

John Belushi is interred in Abel's Hill Cemetery,
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

His widow later remarried and is now Judy Belushi
Pisano.

==Filmography==
*Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1975) (voice)
*Animal House (1978)
*Goin' South (1978)
*Old Boyfriends (1979)
*1941 (film) (1979)
*The Blues Brothers (1980)
*Continental Divide (movie)|Continental Divide
(1981)
*Neighbors (1981)

==Trivia==
*In the toga party scene in the basement of the
frat in Animal House, the uncredited coed dancing
with Bluto (Belushi) is his wife.

*Belushi wanted Bluto to go on the road trip with
Boon, Otter, Pinto and Flounder but director John
Landis told him that his character was best used
sparingly.

*According to the "Where Are They Now? -  A Delta
Alumni Update" mockumentary included on the Double
Secret Probation Edition of Animal House, Sen.
John Blutarsky and his lovely wife, the former
Mandy Pepperidge, have ascended to the White
House.

==Famous Saturday Night Live characters==
*Beethoven
*Samurai
*'Joliet' Jake Blues
*Joe Cocker
*Dino de Laurentis
*Greek Restaurant Owner
*the Godfather
*Elizabeth Taylor
*Captain Kirk


Sources -  Hill, Doug and Weingrad, Jeff,
"Saturday Night - A Backstage History of Saturday
Night Live", Beech Tree Books / William Morrow,
New York, 1986, ISBN 0-688-05099-9.

The Best of the National Lampoon Radio Hour, liner
notes by McConnachie, Brian and Simmons, Matty,
Rhino Records, California, 1996.

Shales, Tom and Miller, James Andrew, "Live From
New York - An Uncensored History of Saturday Night
Live", Little, Brown and Company, Boston, New
York, London, 2002, ISBN 0-316-78146-0.
  
National Lampoon's Animal House - Double Secret
Probation Edition DVD release, Universal Studios,
California, 2003.


==External links==
*imdb name|id=0000004|name=John Belushi

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

John Adam Belushi (born January 24, 1949 –
died March 5, 1982) was an United States|American
actor and comedian. John was born in the U.S. to
Adam Belushi, an Albanian immigrant who left his
native village, Qytezë, in 1934 at the age of 15,
and his wife Agnes. John's brother James Belushi
is also a successful actor and comedian.

Belushi's first big break as a comedian occurred
in 1971, when he joined The Second City comedy
troupe in Chicago, Illinois.  Thanks to his
uncanny caricature of singer Joe Cocker's intense
and jerky stage presence, he participated in
National Lampoon's "Lemmings" stage show in 1972
(which also featured future Saturday Night Live
performer Chevy Chase).

From 1973 to 1975 the National Lampoon aired the
Radio Hour, a half-hour comedy program syndicated
across the country on approximately 600 stations.
When original director Michael O'Donoghue quit in
1974, Belushi took over the reins until the show
was cancelled. Other players on the show included
future SNL regulars Gilda Radner, Bill Murray,
Brian Doyle-Murray, Richard Belzer and Chevy
Chase. Belushi married Judy Jacklin, an associate
producer of the Radio Hour. A number of  comic
bits first performed on the Radio Hour would be
translated into SNL sketches in the show's early
seasons.    

Belushi achieved national fame with his work on
Saturday Night Live, which he joined as one of the
original cast members in 1975.  He left Saturday
Night Live in 1979 to pursue a film career, and he
appeared in a number of movies, including The
Blues Brothers (with Dan Aykroyd) and Animal
House. Both the Animal House and the Blues
Brothers albums went to number 1, making Belushi
the only performing artist to concurrently attain
momentary greatness in the two disciplines.

He was also known to indulge in bouts of drinking
and involvement with drugs which eventually cost
him his life. John was found dead on March 5, 1982
in a hotel room at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset
Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The cause of
death was a Speedball (drug)|speedball, a lethal
injection of cocaine and heroin. His death was
investigated by forensic pathology|forensic
pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, among others, and
while there was some dispute in the findings it
was eventually officially ruled a drug-related
accident.  There was some suspicion of foul play
by his companion and drug dealer at the time,
Cathy Smith.

John's life is detailed in the biography "Wired:
The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi"
(Published in 1985) by Bob Woodward.

John Belushi is interred in Abel's Hill Cemetery,
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

His widow later remarried and is now Judy Belushi
Pisano.

==Filmography==
*Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1975) (voice)
*Animal House (1978)
*Goin' South (1978)
*Old Boyfriends (1979)
*1941 (film)|1941 (1979)
*The Blues Brothers (1980)
*Continental Divide (movie)|Continental Divide
(1981)
*Neighbors (1981)

==Trivia==
*In the toga party scene in the basement of the
frat in Animal House, the uncredited coed dancing
with Bluto (Belushi) is his wife.

*Belushi wanted Bluto to go on the road trip with
Boon, Otter, Pinto and Flounder but director John
Landis told him that his character was best used
sparingly.

*According to the "Where Are They Now? -  A Delta
Alumni Update" mockumentary included on the Double
Secret Probation Edition of Animal House, Sen.
John Blutarsky and his lovely wife, the former
Mandy Pepperidge, have ascended to the White
House.

==Famous Saturday Night Live characters==
*Beethoven
*Samurai
*'Joliet' Jake Blues
*Joe Cocker
*Dino de Laurentiis
*Greek Restaurant Owner
*The Godfather
*Elizabeth Taylor
*Captain Kirk


Sources -  Hill, Doug and Weingrad, Jeff,
"Saturday Night - A Backstage History of Saturday
Night Live", Beech Tree Books / William Morrow,
New York, 1986, ISBN 0-688-05099-9.

The Best of the National Lampoon Radio Hour, liner
notes by McConnachie, Brian and Simmons, Matty,
Rhino Records, California, 1996.

Shales, Tom and Miller, James Andrew, "Live From
New York - An Uncensored History of Saturday Night
Live", Little, Brown and Company, Boston, New
York, London, 2002, ISBN 0-316-78146-0.
  
National Lampoon's Animal House - Double Secret
Probation Edition DVD release, Universal Studios,
California, 2003.

==External links==
*imdb name|id=0000004|name=John Belushi