Celebrating John Belushi

Last night, I went to a benefit event at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts, hosted by Right Turn, a non-profit organization that helps creative people with addictions, illnesses, and psychiatric issues.  The event was called "Celebrating John Belushi" that featured his widow, Judy Belushi-Pisano.  She talked about her life with John.

They also had a blues band and singers performing a two-hour concert that was spectacular.  There was a live auction and a raffle.  I won a set of jewelry: a necklace, braclet and earrings.  They look great on me.

The finale was the showing of the Blues Brothers movie.  It was definately a great time.

Btw, Dan Aykroyd also has Asperger's Syndrome, just like me.

John Belushi was my favorite cast member of "Saturday Night Live."  I started watching it in 1977.  I loved watching the original cast.  They were the funniest and the best cast the show ever had.

I still remember the day that I found out that John had died of a drug overdose (March 5, 1982).  I was a senior in high school.  I was already home from school that day.  My parents were at the dental office where they worked.  I was a latch-key kid.  In the basement of the house was the stereo and my records as well as Smokey, my cat, and Emma, my dog.  I listened to my Blues Brothers albums.  Then, I went to the kitchen to get the food ready for dinner and turned on the radio.  I listened to Q107-FM in Washington, DC at the time.

Five minutes later, Dave Thompson, the disc jockey, stopped the music and allowed their news man, Steve Palmer, to come on the air with breaking news.  John Belushi had died in Los Angeles.

I went into shock, screamed "No!" and started crying non-stop for the rest of the evening.

Watching him on the television and at the movies always cheered me up a lot while I was growing during those difficult years, especially after my brother Alfred died.  In fact, Alfred's death was the day before the Blues Brothers movie debuted in the theatres in June 1980.  I saw the movie just a few days after Alfred died, just before his funeral.