20 Things You Didn't Know About The Blues Brothers
16. Aykroyd Demanded Roles And Musical Numbers For Blues And R&B Legends
Aykroyd and Belushi were both huge blues fans and considered the music to be a huge foundation of themselves as entertainers.
With this in mind, Aykroyd wrote in roles for several of their favourite blues singers, including John Lee Hooker (singer outside the restaurant,) Cab Calloway (Curtis), James Brown (Reverend James,) Aretha Frankline (Matt Murphy's wife and owner of the restaurant), and Ray Charles (owner of Ray's Music Exchange.)
While director John Landis understood what Aykroyd was trying to do, Universal hated the idea. They felt that these singers were has-beens and held no appeal for younger audiences. Instead, they wanted more recent hit singers who could provide disco-type songs for the film and would add appeal to younger, urban audiences.
Aykroyd refused to budge, insisting that these singers and songs appear or he and Belushi would walk. Universal finally agreed, and as it happens, Aykroyd nailed the idea perfectly. The scenes with these blues legends were among the most memorable and most-loved in the movie.