We’re celebrating Blues History as we approach the 4th of July & our Red, White & Blues Celebration & this week’s password honors the 1980 premier of the iconic film, The Blue Brothers.

Released June 16, 1980 in Chicago, this classical action-packed musical comedy stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. It is widely celebrated as a love letter to 1960s Chicago and R&B and soul music. The Blues Brothers originated as an iconic musical sketch on Saturday Night Live and evolved into a real-life American blues and soul revival band, culminating in the legendary 1980 musical action-comedy feature film!

The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, is rife with legendary cameos from the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway. The story follows Jake Blues as he rejoins his brother, Elwood, after being released from prison. Jake and Elwood, The Blues Brothers, clad in signature black suits, fedoras, and sunglasses set out on "a mission from God" to prevent the foreclosure of the Catholic orphanage they were raised in. To do so, they must reunite their old R&B band and organize a performance to earn the $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage's property tax bill. Along the way, The Blues Brothers are targeted by a homicidal "mystery woman", neo-Nazis and a country-western band; all while being relentlessly pursued by the police. After narrowly and miraculously escaping all the peril, The Blues Brothers arrive at Chicago City Hall just in time to successfully pay the tax bill and save their beloved orphanage but are promptly arrested by the mob of police officers. From prison, The Blues Brothers play "Jailhouse Rock" for the inmates.

After its debut on June 16, 1980, in Chicago, The Blues Brothers opened on June 20, 1980 in 594 theaters across the US, ranking second in the box office that week with a take of $4,858,152. The Blues Brothers in total grossed $57,229,890 domestically and $58,000,000 in foreign box office for a total of $115,229,890. In 2020, The Blues Brothers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Over the years and despite criticism, The Blues Brothers has become a cult classic, inspiring late night cinema, theatrical remakes, soundtracks, cinema remakes, discussion panels, conferences, and even popular manga and anime franchises, making it a relevant part of not only blues history but film history!